artist residency program

The Watermill Center’s Artist Residency Program began in 2006 when the Center officially opened as a year-round facility. Each year collectives and individuals take up residence at The Watermill Center to develop works that critically investigate, challenge, and extend the existing norms of artistic practice.

The Artist Residency Program is process-based, without the expectation or promise of a final exhibition of the work. The Watermill Center provides artists with the time, space, and freedom to develop their practice in a communal environment that encourages experimentation. Artists-in-Residence share their creative process with the community through open rehearsals, workshops, and artist talks.

Artists-in-Residence receive access to an extensive collection of resources central to The Watermill Center experience: 20,000 square feet of rehearsal/design spaces and outdoor stages; a theater production archive; The Watermill Center Study Library; The Watermill Collection; and The Watermill Center’s ten-acre landscaped grounds and gardens.

Dates:

Residencies are scheduled by mutual agreement between the accepted Resident Artist and The Watermill Center during January-June and September-December. Residencies can be scheduled for a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of four weeks. Please view the application to get a better sense of the exact start and end dates.

Requirements:

Residents are required to participate in In Process @ The Watermill Center, which invites the community to engage with our Artists-in-Residence through open rehearsals, workshops, studio visits, lectures, or artist talks. In Process typically occurs midway through a residency, and is focused on giving you the chance to share your artistic process with the local community, and get feedback on the project under development.

Workshops and other community events are strongly encouraged, but not required. Each artist is encouraged to have an education component to their residency. The Watermill Center staff will work with you to plan and design education programming.