The Watermill Center’s 2022 Artists-in-Residence

The Watermill Center, an interdisciplinary laboratory for the arts and humanities founded by artist Robert Wilson and located in Water Mill, has awarded residencies and fellowships to 21 artists from France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Taiwan, and Connecticut, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. The artists participating in The Center’s Artist Residency Program, Inga Maren Otto Fellowship, and the newly announced Nina von Maltzahn Fellowship, will be provided with the time and space to exercise creative freedom in the development of their practice.

“The year ahead is an exciting moment for The Watermill Center, 2022 is the first time since February 2020 that we are back at full capacity,” said managing director Elise Herget, “and we are using this opportunity to further expand our commitment to supporting our community of artists. With the launch of the Nina von Maltzahn Fellowship, our continuing partnerships, and our ongoing support of a growing alumni base, we are committed to providing artists with the time, space, and freedom they need to develop their work, at whatever stage of their career they happen to be.”

Artists-in-Residence include visual artist Ville Andersson, multidisciplinary artist Kader Attia, musician Eli Berman, sculptor Brian Block, architect Marie de Testa, artist collective For Freedoms, interdisciplinary performer Nile Harris, interdisciplinary artist Joyce Ho, author Amanda Johnston, performance collective KOR’SIA, composer Adam Lenz and dancer Miki Orihara, multidisciplinary artist Maria Louizou, pianist Nicoletta Favari and percussionist Christopher Salvito of Passepartout Duo, performance scholar Matthew Randle-Bent, writer Helen Betya Rubinstein, conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas, multidisciplinary artist Studio Tassy, dancer and educator Ogemdi Ude and choreographer Netta Yerushalmy.

In addition to the Artist Residency Program, The Center has two fellowships that further support the work and creative processes of its Artists-in-Residence. The Inga Maren Otto Fellowship, created with a gift from philanthropist Inga Maren Otto, has been awarded to Ville Andersson, Kader Attia, and Hank Willis Thomas and For Freedoms. The Fellowship provides support for outstanding visual artists who have demonstrated exceptional creative ability.

The inaugural Baroness Nina von Maltzahn Fellowship for the Performing Arts, founded by Nina Maria Arts & Culture Foundation, supports the work of emerging and established artists working in the fields of performance, music and dance. The first recipients of this prestigious award are Nile Harris, Joyce Ho, and the KOR’SIA collective.

The Watermill Center’s residency partners include The Parrish Art Museum, who will present the work of Hank Willis Thomas and For Freedoms for their summer Platform series, and YoungArts: The National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists, which supports a Watermill Center residency for one of YoungArts’ alumnus, this year awarded to Eli Berman who will receive additional guidance and mentorship from Watermill’s network of international artists.

“Our partnerships are one way we help support the artists during their stay at The Center, and the life of their work once they leave,” says Herget. “Supporting our alumni is vital to our mission. Whether through offering them use of our non-profit status through our fiscal sponsorship program or by offering them week-long retreats for research and development, we’re constantly seeking new ways to support our growing family of artists.”

In 2022, The Center will see several alumni artists return for the Artist Residency Program, including former Artists-in-Residence Ville Andersson, Adam Lenz, and Netta Yerushalmy. Additionally, Marie de Testa, Nile Harris, Maria Louizou, and Studio Tassy are all artists who have participated in Watermill’s International Summer Program and will be in residence at The Center for the first time.

“The Watermill Center has become a creative home for me,” said composer Adam Lenz. “I have been visiting the site for nearly a decade to collaborate with Bob [Wilson] and other artists, as well as to support the activities at The Center. Coming to The Watermill Center was the first time I felt like I was part of a community of artists. It is really meaningful to return this year to develop this project at a place that has been a major part of my creative development.”

The Watermill Center is located at 39 Watermill Towd Road in Water Mill. For more information, call 631-726-4628 or visit watermillcenter.org.