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See Photos from the Watermill Center’s Star-Studded Summer Benefit

Over 30 art installations and performance pieces were spread across the lush grounds of the Watermill Center

By Ashley Petras
Person with a mask stands beside a wooden boat planter with grasses and a deer statue in a lush garden setting.
*Ark, Pyramid, for Paul Thek* by Robert Wilson at the Watermill Center’s 26th annual summer benefit. Photo: Chloe Bellemere

Visionary artist Robert Wilson’s annual summer gala at the Watermill Center is known for its wildly avant-garde installations and performances that fuse art, design, architecture, fashion, and music. Tabula rasa, the latin term meaning “clean slate,” inspired this year’s edition, which entertained over a thousand well-heeled guests at the Long Island institution this past Saturday.

Presented by Van Cleef & Arpels and Wilson, the center’s founder-artistic director, the fête honored philanthropist and supporter Katharine Rayner along with artist Carrie Mae Weems. Just a few of the notable guests in attendance were Isabella Rossellini, Eric Shiner, Bill Powers, Leila Heller, Maja Hoffmann, and Peter Marino.

People walking towards a large, artistic installation outdoors surrounded by greenery and trees on a sunny day.
Graciela Sacco’s Bocanadas. Chloe Bellemere, Courtesy of The Watermill Center

Included in this year’s spectacle were 33 artist installations and performances that created an immersive landscape for visitors to explore and interact with throughout the festivities. Works by Gillian Walsh, Humberto Diaz, the Daxophone Consort (Daniel Fishkin, Cleek Schrey, and Ron Shalom), and Liz Glynn dotted the center’s lush ten-acre grounds.

People wearing large butterfly headpieces in a wooded area during an outdoor event.
Megan May Daalder’s Mirror Box on the grounds of the Watermill Center. Laura Brichta, Courtesy of The Watermill Center

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Later in the evening guests entered the dinner tent to another performance by Bianca Casady of Coco Rosie and Ira Anufrieva before Raymond McGuire presented Rayner and Weems. A silent auction and live auction were also held that presented works by Anish Kapoor, Pope.L, Tomashi Jackson, Robert Longo, Sam Falls, and more. The after-party was deejayed by Kitty Cash, and by the end of the evening $1.7 million had been raised in funding for the Watermill Center’s year-round Artist Residency and Education Programs.

Check out more images from the event below.

Person in red outfit standing in front of white house with blue doors, three figures in red seated on the roof.
DJ Kitty Cash posed in front of Daxophone Consort by Daniel Fishkin, Cleek Schrey, and Ron Shalom. Maria Baranova Suzuki, Courtesy of The Watermill Center

Two people wrapped in plastic sheeting lying on grass, connected to a tree, creating a surreal outdoor scene.
Humberto Diaz’s It’s All in Your Head installation. Maria Baranova Suzuki, Courtesy of The Watermill Center

Person standing in a forest holding an abstract painting with vibrant colors, sunset visible in the background.
John Riepenhoff Handlers installation. Maria Baranova Suzuki, Courtesy of The Watermill Center

Three people posing together outdoors at an event, holding programs and smiling at the camera.
Julia Blanchard, Tripoli Patterson, Emma Blanchard. BFA Neil Rasmus, Courtesy of the Watermill Center

Man in camo jacket and sunglasses with woman in yellow dress and black cardigan standing outdoors on a gravel surface.
Bill Powers and Jacquelyn Jablonski. BFA Neil Rasmus, Courtesy of the Watermill Center

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Two performers in a dynamic outdoor performance, one shirtless and the other in a black outfit, with a crowd in the background.
TheQueenofKrump AKA Miss. Prissy Feat. HallowDreamz performing The Queendom Come. BFA Neil Rasmus, Courtesy of The Watermill Center

Ballet dancer in pink leotard performs a high leg stretch in a sunlit forest clearing surrounded by trees.
Gillian Walsh Fame Notions on the grounds of the Watermill Center. Maria Baranova Suzuki, Courtesy of The Watermill Center

Performer in dramatic makeup and costume stands on a table with seated audience, surrounded by roses and fruit.
Bianca Casady, Woman on the Phone (cocreated with Irina Anufrieva) presented in the dinner Tent. BFA Neil Rasmus, Courtesy of the Watermill Center

Woman in blue dress sings on an outdoor stage with a drum set, surrounded by tall trees in a dimly lit forest setting.
A drumming and singing piece by Stina Fors. Maria Baranova Suzuki, Courtesy of the Watermill Center