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A large-scale environmental public art project slated for construction in the next few years won a majority of approval votes in the Nov. 8 midterm local elections under Miami Beach’s General Obligation (GO) bond for arts and cultural institutions. Earned millions of dollars from
A $159 million bond loan for an arts and cultural institution was approved with 64.8% of the vote, a seven-mile reef line of a series of artistically designed artificial coral reefs along the waters of Miami Beach from the south will be built soon. 5th North of 4th Avenue has been approved to receive $5 million from the bonds.
The total cost of the project was estimated at $11.8 million, said Ximena Caminos, founder and artistic director of Reef Line. Miami Her Beach Commissioner Ricky Ariola reached out to her and urged her to join her GO her Bond funding allocation for this project, she said.
In a conversation with Colin Hood, a marine biologist and director of Coral Morphologic, a multimedia coral farming studio, Kaminos said the idea for an underwater sculpture park began in her living room. .
“I became very interested in artists working on topics related to nature,” she said. “And one day, while talking to Colin about Miami’s efforts to protect nature and its beaches, he told me that a very bad sand replenishment process in 2002 choked most of the reef that was there. The city recognized the area as a place where they could deploy an artificial reef.
She said winning the 2019 Knight Foundation Arts Challenge Award, a matching $80,000 prize, gave her the confidence to believe in the project.
“With this $160,000, we’ve started a long road to figuring out what we need,” she said. “We got permission, we saw if it was feasible, we talked to scientists.”
Kaminos is joined by Diego Lillman, a marine biologist and professor at the University of Miami who runs Rescue Reef, Shelby Thomas, currently Scientific Director of Reef Line, and noted marine biologist, oceanographer and author. I met Sylvia Earle. Its purpose was to draw attention to the need to protect our oceans and coastlines and the impact of climate change on those communities.
The project’s masterplan consists of geometric concrete modular units designed by Shohei Shigematsu, a partner at New York-based Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). According to the Reef Line website, some of the sculptures included in Reef Line Phase 1 include the “Heart of Oceanus, a sculpture of the cardiovascular work of the Greek sea god” designed by British artist Petrok Sesti. will be Designed by Leandro Erlich, his Concrete Coral is a sculpture of his 22 concrete cars in the sea. and Machine Hallucinations: Coral (AI Data Sculpture) from his Refik Anadol Studio.
Kaminos said the GO bond fund will cover 42% to 45% of the Leaf Line project. “So this is a massive game-changer, because it would have taken us longer to do it.” With the project’s permit in effect, Phase 1 can begin. . She estimates that this will take about a year and a half. After she secures Phase 2 clearance, she “can do everything we had planned in three and a half years,” she said.
According to the press release, 87% of the $5 million allocated to Leaf Line will go directly to its infrastructure. “These funds are supporting Phases 1 and 2 of Leafline,” she said in her press release. Importance of healthy marine habitats, coastlines and coral reefs. ”
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development predicts that the global ocean economy will reach $3 million by 2030. The US blue economy is estimated at $373 billion, according to the Middlebury Institute for International Affairs. According to the Florida Ocean Alliance (FOA) 2020 Strategic Plan, Florida’s coastal county generates more than $797 billion in economic value for her, accounting for her 77% of the state’s total economy. Direct and indirect use of marine and coastal resources contributes $73.9 billion to Florida’s economy.
The FOA’s 2020 Strategic Plan states that “Florida has essential, valuable and iconic natural resources and man-made infrastructure along its 8,436 miles of coastline, the second longest coastline of any U.S. state or territory. there is.
“Reefline could be one of Florida’s next great blue economy attractions, offering a triple benefit of ecological restoration, economic growth and improved quality of life.” impact. “The value of all these impacts can be easily measured: ecosystem restoration leading to more dynamic, diverse and stable marine ecosystems; broader economic growth in the form of unique and proven water attractions; and tourism. Improving the overall quality of life for all parties, both guests and locals.
