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Cultural Arts  Alliance of Walton 
County and South Walton 
Artifi cial Reef Association Reveal 
Seven Designs Selected For First 
Underwater Museum Of Art 
Installation

 
The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton 

County(CAA) and South Walton Artifi cial 
Reef Association (SWARA) are proud to 
reveal the seven sculpture designs selected 
by jury for permanent exhibition in the fi rst 
installation of the Underwater Museum of 
Art (UMA). 

The 2018 Spring/Summer installation will 

include the following sculpture: “Propeller in 
Motion” by Marek Anthony, “Self Portrait” 
by Justin Gaffrey, “The Grayt Pineapple” 
by Rachel Herring, “JYC’s Dream” by 
Kevin Reilly in collaboration with students 
from South Walton Montessori School, 
“SWARA Skull” by Vince Tatum, “Concrete 
Rope Reef Spheres” by Evelyn Tickle, and 
“Anamorphous Octopus” by Allison Wickey.

UMA is presented as part of CAA’s Art 

In Public Spaces Program and will augment 
SWARA’s mission of creating marine 
habitat and expanding fi shery populations 
while providing enhanced creative, cultural, 
economic and educational opportunities 
for the benefi t, education and enjoyment 
of residents, students and visitors in South 
Walton. 

With support from the National 

Endowment for the Arts, Visit Florida 
and the Alys Foundation, UMA will be 
deployed with SWARA’s existing USACOA 
and FDEP permitted artifi cial reef project 
that includes nine nearshore reefs located 
within one nautical mile of the shore in 
approximately 50-60 feet of water. A one-acre 
permit patch of seabed off Grayton Beach 
State Park has been dedicated for UMA, the 
nation’s fi rst permanent underwater museum, 
which will be installed in the late spring or 
early summer of 2018.

Membership information, grant and 

scholarship applications, and more can be 
found at Culturalartsalliance.com.

Mattie the Giraffe mural graces 
wall at Destin Commons

 
Local artist Andrea “Andi” Scurto just 

completed the ninth mural as part of an 
extensive, ongoing collection or wall art at 
Destin Commons located adjacent to the 
Center Plaza Playground. 

Scurto’s work is entitled “Mattie in the 

Sky with Birds”, one of many scenes Andi 
has developed for Mattie the Giraffe and her 
whimsical adventures.  Mattie the Giraffe 
fi rst became popular in the area after Andi 
won the poster art competition with her 
character for the Mattie Kelly Arts Festival in 
2015.  She hopes to one day create a children’s 
book based on the adventures of Mattie as 
inspiration from her other scenes.

Andi Scurto, a resident of Destin, FL, is 

an award-winning artist recognized for her 
imaginatively colorful illustrations and life-
like portraits.  A true creative, she is rarely 
lacking in inspiration - “I’m continually 
amazed by the loveliness of this planet and her 
expanding universe…I’ve got a cornucopia of 
art ideas I’m waiting to explore.” 

Amidst her determination to fi nd the 

balance between artistic expression and 
pleasing her audience, Andi creates pieces 
that ignite a playful spirit in onlookers. A 
gifted youngster from an early age she is 
primarily self-taught in watercolor, acrylic, 
and colored pencil. A child of the 80’s, 
benefi cial technology is not lost on her so 
her menu now includes digital paintings via 
Photoshop and Illustrator. Additionally, 
she received training in Lucca, Italy under a 
master restorer of fi ne Italian art thus fl ushing 
out her artistic playlist.  You can check out 
more of her work at www.andiart.com .

The murals have been well-received at 

Destin Commons, making perfect photo 
backdrops for both locals and Destin’s many 
tourist visitors.  

Northwest Florida’s award-winning 

premier 
outdoor 
lifestyle 
center, Destin 
Commons 
is located at 
the corner of 
Highway 98 
and the Mid 
Bay Bridge 

Road. Visit www.DestinCommons.com, 
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more 
information.

Emerald Coast Foundation 
Donates to Children in Crisis

 

The Emerald Coast Foundation recently 

showed their support to Children in 
Crisis, Inc. by awarding a grant to help 
sustain operations of the CIC Children’s 
Neighborhood.

Chris Sehman, President of the Foundation, 

presented the donation to Ken Hair, CIC 
Executive Director, at the October Fort 
Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce First 
Friday Coffee.  The donation clearly showed 
their continued commitment of support 
to the kids living at the CIC Children’s 
Neighborhood.

Ken Hair commented, “Before CIC 

built the Children’s Neighborhood, our 
community didn’t have an emergency shelter 
for young children removed from an unsafe 
home on short notice.  Our foster homes help 
with the severe shortage of traditional foster 
homes in our community and keeps brother 
and sister sibling families together and safe.”

The CIC Children’s Neighborhood has 

provided a home to over 175 at-risk foster 
children since opening in 2008.  Children in 
Crisis, Inc. is a non-profi t, 501(c)(3) charity 
of caring people from the community.  To 
learn more about Children in Crisis and 
the Children’s Neighborhood visit www.
childrenincrisisfl .org or call 850-864-4242.

Photo left to right:  Ken Hair, CIC 

Executive Director and Chris Sehman, 
Emerald Coast Foundation President.

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12/27/17   9:17 AM