The Underline wants Miami residents to help choose its next public sculpture in Coconut Grove.

Three proposed works are competing for the inaugural spot in the Underline Plinth Project, a new biennial program that will rotate sculptures every two years at Inter Grove Gallery near the Coconut Grove Metrorail Station. Public voting is open now at theunderline.org/underline-plinth-public-vote.

The vote is advisory. The Underline Arts Advisory Council will make the final selection, weighing artistic merit, public input and alignment with the project's goals, according to the project's official page.

The project draws inspiration from New York's High Line Plinth and London's Fourth Plinth, according to the official project page. It launches with a commission tied to America's 250th anniversary. Artists were asked to respond to a shared prompt: "What does it mean to be an American today?"

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) provided funding, a detail confirmed on both the project page and The Underline's Facebook post promoting the vote.

The three finalists

"A Forest for Many" by Carlos Betancourt and Alberto Latorre features 50 golden-coated aluminum poles shaped to evoke bamboo, each representing a U.S. state. The poles rise from a shared base. Artist Alberto Latorre described the work on Instagram as "reflecting on resilience, individuality, collective unity, and the evolving idea of America after 250 years."

"A Seat at the Table" by Morel Doucet depicts three figures around a shared table. Doucet wrote on Instagram that the piece would be "surrounded by red ginger and set beneath the Metrorail." He described it as "a living public space where neighbors can walk, ride, pause, and gather."

"Tidal" by Kennedy Yanko is the third finalist, according to Friends of The Underline's Oct. 23 announcement. The Underline describes “Tidal” as a folded aluminum form wrapped in dark blue paint, rising and twisting from a mirror-polished stainless steel base that reflects the sky, passing Metrorail, the surrounding grove and viewers. The description says Yanko sees the American story as unsettled and continually evolving, leaving the commission’s central question open rather than offering a single definitive answer.

The winning sculpture will be on display for two years, according to The Underline's Facebook post. No installation date has been announced.

Friends of The Underline said in its Oct. 23 announcement that a winner would be announced in mid-December.

How to vote

Visit theunderline.org/underline-plinth-public-vote to view the three proposals and cast your vote. Friends of The Underline said voting closes Friday, Nov. 6.