There’s a new wave coming to Miami Beach, and it’s not just the tide. Last week, under the warm glow of the Greek sun in Hydra, the ReefLine nonprofit launched its new Blue Arts Award, which will combine high-concept artistry with ocean conservation in one of the world’s most vulnerable coral regions. Amidst the clinking of cocktails and Hydra’s own complex marine biology, the evening displayed a vibrant celebration of art and innovation.

The ReefLine’s masterplan, conceptualized by Shohei Shigematsu of OMA, is a sprawling, seven-mile underwater sculpture park and hybrid reef set to “break water” on development in September 2025. But the visionary brainchild of ReefLine Founder and Artistic Director Ximena Caminos is about much more than aesthetic integrity. The pieces aim to breathe new life into a crucial part of the Florida Reef Tract, battle shoreline erosion, and supercharge biodiversity. The Blue Arts Award is calling on creatives to envision site-specific sculptures that also act as functional reefs. The first winner will be installed in 2027.

Ahead of the project’s debut this fall, CULTURED sat down with Caminos to explore the intersection of art, science, and marine conservation, as well as how this award invites artists to “dream at the scale of the ocean.”

CULTURED: The ReefLine is both poetic and practical. When you first imagined it, what did you see in your mind’s eye—and how has that vision evolved?

Ximena Caminos: I saw an underwater world full of life and wonder—a place to explore and inspire, a symbol of Miami Beach’s creativity and resilience. It could be a living artwork that helps heal the ocean and people’s connection to it, and a platform where nature could thrive, and artists could co-create with it. Over time, that vision deepened: I began to see the Reefline as a form of marine acupuncture—a series of sculptural interventions that restore ecological balance while offering poetic spaces for reflection. What began as an artistic idea is now evolving into a model for creative coastal solutions, blending public art, marine science, and climate action.

CULTURED: The Blue Arts Award invites artists to “dream at the scale of the ocean.” What kinds of dreams are you hoping surface?

Caminos: I love creating platforms for artists to dream—to push their limits, to give them new tools. Incredible artists always surprise me with their genius. To have a tool like this—one that offers both creative freedom and real-world impact—is rare. I hope to surface dreams that transcend borders, that embrace the ocean as a living, breathing entity. Visions that are immersive, visceral, and rooted in a deep understanding of our interconnectedness with marine ecosystems. The ocean invites us to think beyond human timelines—I want to see bold new imaginaries for a regenerative future.

CULTURED: How were the 15 nominators and jury selected?

Caminos: We wanted to work with cultural leaders who have strong voices and a commitment to advocacy. It was important that they be diverse and international—because we want this award to be a true global call to action. The 15 nominators come from across art, science, and activism, and their values resonate with the ReefLine’s ethos. The jury was chosen with the same care—curators whose vision we admire, whose leadership is shaping the future of public art, and who we believe will contribute enormously to the ReefLine’s evolution. Together they ensure this process remains inclusive, interdisciplinary, and visionary.

CULTURED: This award bridges science, public art, and activism. How do you navigate the overlap between aesthetic vision and ecological function?

Caminos: It’s a complex balance, and one that makes these works both more challenging and more meaningful. In order to deploy these structures, they must meet very specific design and ecological criteria. Artists must embrace these constraints and collaborate with scientists and engineers to create works that can truly become part of the marine environment. It is rare to create art that is not only symbolic, but that physically supports life. The attention between aesthetic vision and ecological function is at the heart of the ReefLine.

CULTURED: How do you hope the strong research component for finalists—diving expeditions, coral lab visits, and consultations with marine scientists—will shift artists’ processes?

Caminos: It will absolutely inform and inspire them. By diving, exploring the reef, visiting coral labs, and speaking directly with scientists and local communities, artists will gain an embodied, sensory understanding of the ocean. It’s one thing to imagine marine life from afar; it’s another to see its fragility and resilience firsthand. I hope this experience shifts their process, leading to works that honor the complexity of these ecosystems and contribute meaningfully to their regeneration.

CULTURED: What is the most surprising or moving moment you’ve had with the Blue Arts Award process since it began?

Caminos: There have been many. Seeing the first wave of artist nominations was deeply moving. The diversity of voices and visions affirmed the global urgency and creative potential of ocean advocacy. Conversations between artists and scientists, watching them find common language, sparking ideas that neither discipline could have reached alone. That kind of synergy—between art, science, and activism—is what makes this process so powerful and never ceases to surprise me.