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NewsHour Extra would like to extend a big thanks to Ms. Wathen’s journalism class at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, for contributing to today’s Daily News Story.

Essential question

How can art impact a person's view of the world?

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Visitors must don scuba gear in order to explore a new art gallery located 90 feet below the surface. The exhibit is made up of 12 photo illustrations mounted on the sunken remains of a WWII-era ship in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The U.S.N.S. Vandenberg was intentionally sunk off the coast of Florida in 2009 and has since become the world’s second largest artificial reef. The ship once tracked space launches off Florida’s Cape Canaveral and monitored Soviet missiles during the Cold War. The illustrations are encased in Plexiglas and silicon-sealed steel frames to protect them from water damage. Scuba divers may view the Baroque-style illustrations taken by Austrian photographer Andreas Franke through August.

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Key terms

artificial reef — a human-made underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom Baroque — an artistic style that uses exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance and grandeur in a variety of art forms

Warm up questions ( before watching the video)

1. Where are the Florida Keys?


2. What does it take to become a certified scuba diver?


3. Do you enjoy visiting art galleries?

Critical thinking questions ( after watching the video)

1. What sort of equipment or training would someone need to visit this gallery?


2. What are the limitations of visiting this gallery for the average person?


3. How can the people in charge of the gallery protect the art from theft or vandalism?


4. Would you visit this underwater art gallery? Why or why not?