The Mystery Of The Watermill Center - 27 East

Arts & Living

Arts & Living / 1335109

The Mystery Of The Watermill Center

icon 7 Photos

White rooms welcome views of the bay from every perspective. KYRIL BROMLEY

White rooms welcome views of the bay from every perspective. KYRIL BROMLEY

author on Jun 20, 2017

The Watermill Center is a mystery for many people. Everyone knows about the center’s gala summer benefit, which overflows with celebrities, but they don’t know what really happens there.

Part of the Watermill Center’s mystery is because the building and grounds are not located on a main street in a village. The building is set back from the road in the hamlet of Water Mill, with a very small sign to indicate its presence.

When Robert Wilson started the Watermill Center, he did projects with artists-in-residence for five or six weeks in the summer. He created and rehearsed with dancers and theater people for productions of performance art. It started as a place where ideas could be created and incubate.

Mr. Wilson is from Waco, Texas, but his work is performed all over the globe. As a director, playwright and collaborator, he collaborated with Philip Glass to stage “Einstein on the Beach,” originally performed over five hours.

After finding the former Western Union research facility in Water Mill, Mr. Wilson completely renovated it. Now the Watermill Center functions as a work/living space and includes a research library, galleries, rehearsal and performance spaces, and offices, all in a 20,000-square-foot building on 8.5 acres. It is located at 39 Water Mill-Towd Road.

Archivist Nixon Beltran, who is the center manager and is in charge of the grounds, works with Mr. Wilson and local landscape architects to maintain the quality that is required. Mr. Beltran came for the summer program as a dancer and is still at the center 15 years later.

Tours for the public are offered on select Wednesdays and Saturdays, and private tours are available. The center has a permanent collection of eclectic, personal art curated by Mr. Wilson himself. It ranges from prehistoric sculpture and Indonesian artifacts to a collection of chairs. Unlike most museums, objects can be held and touched. Some artists whose work is featured in the collection are Merce Cunningham, Willem de Kooning, Andy Warhol and Robert Mapplethorpe.

But the main reason that the Watermill Center is unique is that its focus is on the artist-in-residence program for dance, theater, performing arts—and now expanding to include visual artists, filmmakers and writers.

The artist-in-residence programs vary from two to six weeks, with some interaction with the public midway through the artists’ stays. Every artist is expected to perform or share works-in-progress during this time. They used to be called rehearsals, because many of the projects were theater, dance or performance pieces. Now they are called “In Process Viewing,” because of the expanded forms of art represented.

The emphasis is on process, not finished product. The advantage to the artists is that they get to see audience reactions, and for the audience, an opportunity to see the creative juices flow with trial and error and false starts. The Watermill Center is a living museum with the artists-in-residence being the living art.

Director Elka Rifkin is expanding the Watermill Center’s outreach into the community by hiring local artists to assist and work there.

Artist Almond Zigmund is the coordinator and residency administrator. She brings an artist’s sensibility and, as she puts it, “a certain empathy and understanding to what artists might need, a bridge to creative solutions.” She orients the artists when they arrive, and organizes where they will stay—either in the dormitory in the main building or in a house off-campus. They are introduced to the collection, the library and the allocation of rehearsal space and basic scheduling.

“Different disciplines expose me to different ways of making art,” Ms. Zigmund said. An artist learns from other artists.

P.L.U.T.O.—an acronym for People Leading Universal Theatre Organization—put on a recent In Process performance of “Black Box.” The group is an ensemble of stage directors, actors and writers formed in 2015 at Lincoln Center Director’s Lab. “Black Box” communicates a dialogue between their various backgrounds and cultures. Their performance was both charming and thought provoking.

Five performers—from Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and France—dressed in navy blue jumpsuits, had pre-filled the same size black boxes with personal ephemera, photos, newspapers, fabric, a tambourine, eyeglasses, paperback books, articles of clothing, all laid out in a pattern on the floor that only the performers understood. They did a series of vignettes.

In one, an audience member selects an object from a box and each of the five performers talks about what it means to them. “I pray to this stamp,” one says. “It has the power of prophecy,” says another. Each telling why the stamp is important to them, real or made up, we don’t know, nor does it matter.

In one memorable vignette, they piled all the stuff up on one actress, signifying all the baggage and attachment to belongings that individuals carry. As the objects obscured her face, she bent her knee slowly and all the objects tumbled to the ground.

Another vignette had three actors sitting on three folding chairs reading aloud from three different newspapers, in French, German and Portuguese. One person started reading much louder that the other two, creating a dissonance not unlike the talking heads shouting at each other on CNN.

At the end, the performers put all the objects on the floor in the same order as at the beginning. Traffic noises in the background. END. The audience clapped.

Another way Ms. Rifkin is expanding the Watermill Center’s reach is by meeting with other museums and arts organizations on the East End to collaborate on programs and to share events. The Watermill Center meets once a month with Guild Hall, the Parrish Art Museum, Bay Street Theater, Southampton Arts Center, LongHouse Reserve and Hamptons International Film Festival to brainstorm ideas. The center has also worked with Peconic Landing and Head Start.

The Watermill Center recently hosted the dance group El Collegio del Cuerpo from Colombia, which did a collaborative performance with members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation.

“This might be a template for future interaction and community involvement,” Ms. Rifkin said. “It’s a way to expand people’s understanding of the creative process.”

Public and private schools are another bridge to the community. A professional development session for teachers held a roundtable discussion at the Watermill Center and one teacher said, “I can breathe here.”

They have tried dual language programs and the Hayground School in Bridgehampton came every day during the month of January to work on a performance piece to be shown later in the year.

Ms. Rifkin said Mr. Wilson is the Watermill Center’s greatest fundraiser because of his unbridled enthusiasm. But Robert Wilson is now 75 years old. The Watermill Center is working toward an endowment to be financially sustainable in the future to continue being “an interdisciplinary laboratory for the arts and humanities.”

And a heads-up: Every summer, about two weeks after the Summer Benefit & Auction—which generates half of the Watermill Center’s operating budget, and this year is scheduled for July 29—the center holds “Discover Watermill Day,” when the artists re-create many of the gala performances free for the public, and many children’s activities are offered. This year, it is August 13, from 3 to 6 p.m., giving the general public the opportunity to see for free what the glitterati paid $1,500 to experience.

The Watermill Center should be a mystery no longer.

You May Also Like:

Springs Artist Fitzhugh Karol Debuts Outdoor Sculpture Show at Duck Creek

The Arts Center at Duck Creek will present “Fitzhugh Karol: On the Grounds,” a site-specific ... 8 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

La Goulue Sur Mer Arrives in Southampton, With a Dash of Chaos and a Side of Style

“Is it true?” said the anxious DM on my Instagram account. “Is La Goulue really ... by Steven Stolman

Art on a Line: Guild Hall’s Clothesline Sale Hangs Tough for 2025

Guild Hall’s beloved Clothesline Art Sale returns on Saturday, July 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The annual event, a Hamptons tradition since 1946, transforms the museum’s lawn into a sea of original artwork — hung on clotheslines — and offers visitors the chance to purchase local art at accessible prices. Jackson Pollock once sold a painting at the sale for $250, and past participants have included Lee Krasner, Alfonso Ossorio, Elaine and Willem de Kooning and other art-world icons. The event continues to offer a rare opportunity for the public to view and purchase work by East End ... by Staff Writer

The Climate-Friendly Fitness Routine

“Live simply so that others might simply live” — Mahatma Gandhi The first time I ... by Jenny Noble

Joy Behar Gets the Last Laugh in ‘My First Ex-Husband' at Bay Street Theater, July 14-19

Emmy Award-winning comedian and co-host of “The View,” Joy Behar stars in “My First Ex-Husband,” a bold, funny and heartfelt new play based on true stories from her life. The limited engagement runs July 14 through 19, at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor. With razor-sharp wit and no filters, “My First Ex-Husband” explores the messy, hilarious truths of love, sex and relationships. Adapted from Behar’s personal experiences, the show is both deeply personal and widely relatable. Behar will appear on stage on July 14, 18 and 19. Also appearing nightly, July 14 through 19, are Veanne Cox, a Tony-nominated ... by Staff Writer

Experience the Rhythms of Brazil With Nilson Matta’s Voyage Quartet

Grammy-nominated bassist Nilson Matta will lead his Brazilian Voyage Quartet at The Church on Friday, July 25, at 6 p.m. The concert is part of Hamptons JazzFest. The group features acclaimed guitarist Chico Pinheiro and offers a rich exploration of samba, bossa nova and modern Brazilian jazz. Matta, a founding member of the renowned Trio da Paz and longtime collaborator with Yo-Yo Ma on the Grammy-winning “Obrigado Brazil” project, is known for blending traditional Brazilian rhythms with contemporary jazz. His lyrical bass playing and deep rhythmic connection have earned him international acclaim. Guitarist Chico Pinheiro, recognized as a leading voice ... by Staff Writer

At the Galleries for July 10, 2025

Montauk The Depot Art Gallery, at the Montauk railroad station at the corner of Flamingo ... by Staff Writer

Round and About for July 10, 2025

Fireworks Shelter Island Fireworks The Shelter Island fireworks will be held on Saturday, July 12, ... by Staff Writer

Curtis Institute of Music Alumni and Faculty To Perform in East Hampton on July 22

Talented alumni and faculty from the world-renowned Curtis Institute of Music will tour the East Coast this summer, with a concert scheduled for Tuesday, July 22, at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of East Hampton. The event is presented by Music for Montauk. The program features beloved melodies ranging from Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” to works by Brahms and de Falla. Performers include mezzo-soprano Katie Trigg, violinist Elissa Lee Koljonen, pianist Hanchien Lee, and Curtis Institute President and violist Roberto Díaz. The concert program includes: Manuel de Falla’s “Suite Populaire Espagnole,” performed by Díaz (viola) and Lee (piano); ... by Staff Writer

'Bonnie & Clyde' Cast and Crew Announced for Bay Street Musical

Bay Street Theater has unveiled the complete cast and creative teams for its pulse-pounding musical ... 7 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer