The Watermill Center

What The Watermill Center does

The Watermill Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts laboratory and humanities institution founded in 1992 by Robert Wilson and operated under The Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation. Located on ten acres in Water Mill, NY, in the Hamptons, the Center runs a year-round Artist Residency Program (since 2006), the International Summer Program (since 1992), multiple Artist Fellowships (Nina von Maltzahn Performing Arts, Visual Arts with Pace Gallery, Dance Reflections with Van Cleef & Arpels), Education Programs, public exhibitions, and signature events including the Summer Festival and Artist Dinner series. Its primary constituents are professional artists from around the world (more than 2,500 from 90+ nations historically), students and lifelong learners, general public visitors, and private event clients. Core infrastructure includes 20,000 square feet of rehearsal and design spaces, an 8,000+ object Watermill Collection spanning antiquity to contemporary work, a Library of Inspiration, and theater production archives.

The Center has no proprietary technology platform, no apps, no API, and no AI features. Its intellectual assets are physical (collection, library, grounds) and programmatic (residency model, selection committees, fellowship structure). The technical footprint is limited to a website, email newsletter, and social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, and Vimeo. There is no disclosed software product, data asset, or digital revenue line.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: tax-deductible donations (tiered at $250, $500, $1,000, $5,000, or custom amounts from $1 to $100,000), recurring membership subscriptions, event revenue from the Summer Festival and Artist Dinner events, and venue rentals for private events (limited to June and September). All rental proceeds are directed to artist residency and education programs. The Center does not disclose specific revenue figures. Its commercial approach is event-driven and mission-driven, relying on donor cultivation, brand storytelling, and earned media rather than traditional sales channels. Founder Robert Wilson serves as Artistic Director and remains the central figure around which brand, partnerships, and curation revolve.

Name

The Watermill Center

Legal name

The Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation

Website

https://watermillcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Watermill Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts laboratory founded in 1992 that provides year-round artist residencies, fellowships, education programs, and public exhibitions on its ten-acre Hamptons campus, serving international artists, students, and arts audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The Watermill Center operates as a nonprofit organization relying on donor support to keep programs free, including creative workshops, open studio events with Artists-in-Residence, world-premiere exhibitions, and public spaces.
2. Membership Program: The center offers membership programs where supporters can become members for ongoing engagement and benefits.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from Summer Festival tickets, Artist Dinner events, and other public programming.
4. Venue Rentals: The center offers its facilities for photography sessions, product launches, corporate retreats, conferences, birthday parties, intimate weddings and engagement parties. Limited dates available each June and September. All funds raised support Artist Residency and Education Programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Watermill Center is a nonprofit arts laboratory that provides free artist residencies (year-round and summer), fellowships, education programs, and public exhibitions and events at its 10-acre campus in Water Mill, NY. Selected artists receive housing, food, local transportation, workspace, and a modest stipend in exchange for developing and sharing new work through open rehearsals, workshops, and artist talks. The Center also generates earned income through venue rentals, event tickets, memberships, and tax-deductible donations that fund its programs.

Product overview

The Watermill Center is a nonprofit arts laboratory offering a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on artist residencies, education, and public engagement. Its core offerings include the Artist Residency Program (year-round, since 2006) providing 2-4 week stays for individual and collective artists; the International Summer Program (annual, July-August, since 1992) bringing 20 artists together for four weeks; Artist Fellowships including the Nina von Maltzahn Fellowship for Performing Arts, Visual Arts Fellowship (with Pace Gallery), and Dance Reflections Fellowship (with Van Cleef & Arpels); and Education Programs including Classroom Connections workshops. Supporting these are public programs such as In Process studio visits, Q+I talks, Artists' Table meals, and Exhibition Tours. The Center also hosts annual events including The Summer Festival and periodic major exhibitions. Venue rentals for private events utilize the Center's facilities including the Summer Office, Main Studio, Dining Room, and outdoor spaces. The Watermill Collection (8,000+ objects) and Library of Inspiration serve as resources across all programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artist Residency Program Year-round residency program (launched 2006) that provides selected artists with free housing, food, local transportation, workspace, and a modest stipend so they can develop work that critically investigates, challenges, and extends existing norms of artistic practice. Residents share their process through open rehearsals, workshops, and artist talks.
• International Summer Program Intensive four-week annual residency held each July–August bringing together approximately 20 artists from over 30 countries to develop new works alongside emerging and established creative professionals, culminating in a festival of works open to the public.
• Education Programs Diverse education initiatives including Classroom Connections school workshops and residency programs, tailored to all age groups and learning abilities, incorporating New York State learning standards and engaging students with multidisciplinary artist programming led by international artists and educators.
• Artist Fellowships Fellowship programs providing resources and support for outstanding artists, including the Nina von Maltzahn Fellowship for Performing Arts, Visual Arts Fellowship in partnership with Pace Gallery, Dance Reflections Fellowship by Van Cleef & Arpels, and the Inga Maren Otto Visual Arts Fellowship.
• Exhibitions and Public Programs Year-round exhibitions, open studios, tours, lectures, and public events including In Process (studio visits and open rehearsals), Questions + Ideas (Q+I) talk series, Artists' Table brunch/dinner series, and Exhibition Tours showcasing work from artists worldwide.
• The Summer Festival Annual summer festival (2026 edition titled "Limitless Time") celebrating art and experimentation in support of year-round programming, featuring dynamic works by international artists across the Center's 10-acre property, presented by Van Cleef & Arpels.
• Rentals and Private Events Venue rental service offering the Summer Office (2,970 sq ft), Main Studio (2,373 sq ft), Dining Room (2,869 sq ft), Outdoor Dining, South Lawn, West Terrace, Outdoor Stages, and Clementine Hunter House for photography sessions, product launches, corporate retreats, conferences, birthday parties, intimate weddings, and engagement parties, with limited dates available each June and September. All proceeds support Artist Residency and Education Programs.
• The Disappearance of Landscape: Oakleyville, 1964–2022 Exhibition Ticketed exhibition featuring works by Sheyla Baykal, Peter Hujar, Matthew Leifheit, and Paul Thek that investigates practices of artists who lived and worked between New York City and Fire Island's Oakleyville community from 1964 to the present, on view August 29, 2026 to March 20, 2027.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Blue Rider GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 August 2026Support for the exhibition 'The Disappearance of Landscape: Oakleyville, 1964-2022' is provided by The Blue Rider Group.
• Van Cleef & ArpelscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 July 2026Van Cleef & Arpels presents the Summer Festival 'Limitless Time' at The Watermill Center, celebrating Robert Wilson. The partnership includes support for dance programming through Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, which highlights foundational artists and works while fostering groundbreaking work of tomorrow.
• Pace GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Visual Arts Fellowship is presented in partnership with Pace Gallery. Fellows include Gideon Appah (2024) in partnership with Mitchell-Ines & Nash, and Pam Evelyn (2025). The partnership provides resources for exceptional visual artists to expand their body of work.
• Nina Maria Arts & Culture FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Founded in 2022 in collaboration with the Nina Maria Arts & Culture Foundation, the Baroness Nina von Maltzahn Fellowship for the Performing Arts supports emerging and established artists in theater, performance art, music, and dance with financial support for residencies.
• Estate of Paul ThekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 1988, Paul Thek left his estate to Robert Wilson, founder of The Watermill Center. The center, in partnership with the Estate of Paul Thek, has worked to steward and advance Thek's legacy through preservation and care of his archive and collection. The center holds the most comprehensive collection of Thek's works and papers.
• Works & ProcessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Sekou McMiller & Friends residency is supported by Works & Process. Works & Process is a cultural organization that supports artists through residency and performance programs.
• Polish Cultural Institute New YorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe residency for Ariel Rosé is supported in part by the Polish Cultural Institute New York.
• Fundación Teatro a MilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe residency for Marcela Correa is supported by Fundación Teatro a Mil, the Dr. Kerry English International Arts Fund, and Olga Garay-English.
• Adinkra Poetry PrizeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe residency for Kofi Konadu Berko is in partnership with the Adinkra Poetry Prize, which he won in 2024.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MacDowell: MacDowell is one of the oldest and largest artist residency programs in the U.S., based in Peterborough, NH. It provides free residencies across disciplines, funded by donations and an endowment — closely mirroring Watermill's fully-subsidized residency model.
• Ucross Foundation: Ucross is an artist residency in Wyoming offering residencies across disciplines on a large rural campus. Comparable as a remote-site, donor-funded residency program combining individual creative practice with cross-disciplinary community.
• Headlands Center for the Arts: Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin County, CA provides artist residencies, public programs, and exhibitions on a historic site. Comparable as a single-site nonprofit arts organization blending residency, exhibition, and public engagement in a distinctive physical setting.
• Yaddo: Yaddo is a historic artist residency in Saratoga Springs, NY offering residencies to creative professionals. Directly comparable to The Watermill Center as a long-established, single-site, donor-funded residency program with a similar mission of providing artists time and space to work.
• Ragdale Foundation: Ragdale is an artist residency in Lake Forest, IL providing time, space, and resources for creative work. Comparable in mission, residency model, and donor-supported nonprofit structure.
• Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture: Skowhegan is an intensive nine-week summer residency program in Maine for emerging and established artists. Comparable to Watermill's International Summer Program in format (intensive, summer, international cohort, communal living).
• Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts: Bemis Center in Omaha, NE offers artist residencies, exhibitions, and public programs in a single-site facility. Directly comparable as a nonprofit arts organization combining residency with exhibition programming and community engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Sundance Institute: Sundance operates artist residency and lab programs (theatre, film, music) on a much larger scale, with broader industry influence. Comparable as a high-profile nonprofit combining residency, fellowships, and festivals — though significantly larger and more commercially oriented than Watermill.

Others

• Pace Gallery: Pace Gallery is a global commercial art gallery and partner of Watermill's Visual Arts Fellowship. Included as an ecosystem participant rather than direct peer — Pace operates as a commercial primary market gallery, but its fellowship partnership with Watermill signals adjacency in the high-end contemporary arts ecosystem.

Regional players

• Civitella Ranieri Foundation: Civitella Ranieri is an Italian residency program offering fellowships to international artists in a historic Umbrian castle. Comparable residency model and mission, but operates in Europe rather than the U.S. — relevant as an international peer for global artist mobility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/watermillcenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/watermillcenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/watermillcenter
• Xx.com/watermillcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/watermill-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Watermill Center