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The Watersound® Monarch Art Trail & The Underwater Museum of Art
Underwater Museum Of Art Grows
On June 21st, nine new sculptures and a Super Reef Anchor Point were added to the nation’s first permanent Underwater Museum of Art (UMA) in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Grayton Beach State Park in South Walton, Fla.
The 2022 installation includes the following pieces of sculpture: Currents and Tafoni by Joe Adams (Ventura, CA), Pirate Shipwreck by Sean Coffey (Pittsburgh, PA), Bloom Baby Bloom by Brit Deslonde (Santa Rosa Beach, FL), The Seed and The Sea by Davide Galbiati (Valreas, France), Fibonacci Conchousness by Anthony Heinz May (Eugene, OR), New Homes by Janetta Napp (Honolulu, HI), Arc of Nexus by Tina Piracci (Richmond, CA), We All Live Here by Marisol Rendón (San Diego, CA), and Common Chord by Vince Tatum (Santa Rosa Beach, FL).
With support from Visit South Walton, Walter Marine/The Reefmaker, and the Florida Department of State; Division of Arts and Culture, the sculptures were deployed with SWARA’s existing USACOA and FDEP permitted artificial reef project that includes nine nearshore reefs located within one nautical mile of the shore in 58 feet of water. This installation joins the 25 sculptures previously deployed on a oneacre permit patch of seabed off Grayton Beach State Park, expanding the nation’s first permanent underwater museum to a total of 34 sculptures. The UMA patch will continue to be filled with several new sculptures annually.
Individual sculptures are sponsored by Beachy Blooms, Buddy’s Seafood Market, the 2021-22 CAA Staff, the Ellis Family, Hilton Sandestin Golf Beach Resort & Spa, the St. Joe Community Foundation, SWARA, and Walter Marine / Reefmaker.
Admission to the UMA is free, however, the site is only accessible in person as a dive location. Divers who wish to visit the site can take a dive boat .93 miles off the coast of Grayton Beach State Park. The coordinates for the new Super Reef UMA entrance are N 30°18.754 / W 86°09.521. Out of respect for the art, boaters are asked to anchor on or near the Super Reef Anchor Point to protect the sculptures from unintended contact or damage.
Artists interested in submitting artwork for consideration to the 2023 UMA installation can visit UMAFL.org to complete a pre-application in anticipation of an Artist Call announcement later this year.
Photo by Spring Run Media
We All Live Here
by Marisol Rendón
Photo by Visit South Walton
Visit UMAFL.org for more information about dive shops, tours and obtaining your certification while visiting South Walton.
The Seed and The Sea
by Davide Galbiati
Common Chord
by Vince Tatum
JOSEPH MESSER
WALTON COUNTY ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2022
Joseph Messer received the Award of Excellence at the 34th Annual ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival. Photo by Lynn Crow Photography.
Joseph Messer is the type of artist who understands how to break away from his own tendency towards perfectionism
to create truly unique art. His process-based craft involves a photography and collage technique where the coveted sugarwhite sand and sunsets of South Walton are often the subject matter. He carefully lays out photos previously taken and then snaps shot after shot as saltwater and sand swirl over top.
After he finishes photographing the sunsets, he tears the photos apart and tapes them to another printed photo from a previous session that he has also digitally manipulated. Messer doesn’t leave a single scrap of paper or tape behind. Depending on the results, he might return to the beach with more photos from the day’s photoshoot to repeat the process. The final result will be a fragmented collage of sunset colors swirling with other beach scenes and blue painter’s tape.
The 26-year-old is thrilled to be recognized as the Walton County Artist of the Year. He said that vulnerability is a big part of art and recognition of this magnitude feels like a gift. As a way to give back to the community and start a new career, Messer is working to get a teacher’s license so he can eventually teach high school art. He hopes to be able to inspire students to create art beyond what they might think is possible. “I’m really thankful and very excited to get involved with the community,” he said. “I want to keep exploring all of the art possibilities that are here.”
Learn more about the Artist of the Year program at VisitSouthWalton.com/community-programs/artist-of-the-year
