Broward County

A countywide climate action campaign

Artist Xavier Cortada is partnering with Broward County’s Resilient Environment Department and Cultural Division, with the support of the Community Foundation of Broward and the Cortada Foundation, to launch “The Underwater: Broward,” a countywide climate action campaign.

This initiative aims to engage Broward County residents in learning about the impacts of the climate crisis, particularly sea level rise, and motivate them to get involved in helping to protect their community. 

Through a combination of school engagements, public art, and community events, “The Underwater: Broward” is developing Community Climate Ambassadors who work together to create a thriving and resilient Broward County. 

climate art @ Broward Schools

Cortada and his Foundation’s team are leading hundreds of students across 10 Broward County Public Schools in climate art workshops that emphasize the vulnerability of Broward residents to rising seas, while sparking a process for community engagement, education, and action. The selected schools are:

  • Beachside Montessori Village
  • Driftwood Middle School
  • Silver Lakes Middle School
  • Silver Trail Middle School
  • Westpine Middle School
  • Dillard High School
  • Nova High School
  • Sheridan Technical School 
  • South Broward High School
  • South Plantation High School

All students who participate in the workshop are given Elevation Yard Signs to place at their homes and are invited to become Community Climate Ambassadors who help raise awareness in their neighborhoods. 

Importantly, the artist is creating an original hand-painted mural in all 10 schools depicting each location’s elevation above sea level. The QR code that accompanies each 6′ x 9′ mural invites anyone to discover their home’s elevation and ultimately get involved in local resilience efforts.

This map shows Broward County with 6 feet of sea level rise

Community engagement events

On March 9th, 2024, Cortada opened the 22nd Annual Water Matters Day in Broward County by speaking about the launch of his latest climate initiative, “The Underwater: Broward,” and inviting attendees to join the movement by creating their own yard sign at the Cortada Foundation booth.

art in public places

As students work with their friends and families to help advance “The Underwater: Broward,” Cortada installed a ceramic tile elevation mural in Downtown Fort Lauderdale. He’s also finalizing a metal elevation sculpture to be installed at Broward County Government Center. 

Importantly, Cortada unveiled the world’s first bus aimed at raising awareness about sea level rise and climate change. “The Underwater: Broward Bus” is a mobile art piece that drives across Broward County and invites people to discover their home’s elevation above sea level and get involved in local environmental efforts.