SCRIBBLE: THE WATERMILL CENTER’S 2025 SUMMER BENEFIT HONORS ISABELLA ROSSELLINI AND FRANCIS KÉRÉ WITH AN IMMERSIVE CELEBRATION
This July, The Watermill Center once again throws open its gates for one of the most anticipated art events of the Hamptons season: SCRIBBLE, the 2025 Summer Benefit presented by Van Cleef & Arpels. Taking place over two days, July 25–26, this year’s theme is a tribute to the primal creative impulse — those spontaneous gestures that mark the beginning of artistic expression. The celebration will honor two cultural trailblazers: actress and conservationist Isabella Rossellini and architect Francis Kéré.
Set on the lush, 10-acre grounds of the Water Mill-based interdisciplinary arts laboratory founded by Robert Wilson, SCRIBBLE invites more than 600 guests to immerse themselves in experimental performances, groundbreaking installations, culinary art, and a pulsating afterparty — all in support of The Watermill Center’s year-round programming.
“SCRIBBLE invites us to embrace the raw, immediate gesture — the mark made without hesitation, the creative impulse in its purest form,” noted Elise Herget, Managing Director of The Watermill Center. “In honoring Isabella Rossellini and Francis Kéré, we celebrate two visionary figures whose work embraces fearless imagination expressed across disciplines and cultures.”
Honoring Cultural Icons
Isabella Rossellini’s deep-rooted connection to The Watermill Center dates back to her work with Robert Wilson on the 1999 world premiere of Death, Destruction and Detroit, which later transferred to Lincoln Center. Her decades-long career defies genre — from her acclaimed acting career to her filmmaking, authorship on animal behavior, and work as a sustainable farmer.
Francis Kéré, the Pritzker Prize-winning architect known for his community-driven design ethos and sustainable building practices, also shares a creative kinship with Wilson. The two first connected as fellow recipients of the 2023 Praemium Imperiale, recognizing visionary contributions to global culture. Kéré’s work, which bridges architecture, scenography, and installation, is rooted in his childhood experience in Burkina Faso and marked by a commitment to indigenous knowledge and collaboration.
An Immersive Festival of Art and Performance
Saturday’s SCRIBBLE festival promises a dynamic lineup of performances and installations from 22 multidisciplinary artists representing 15 countries. Among the highlights are:
- Kelsey Lu, the genre-defying cellist and performer, headlining the After Party
- Culinary creations by celebrated chef Jeremiah Stone of Contra and Wildair
- Performances by Watermill’s 2025 International Summer Program artists from around the world, working across visual arts, theater, music, dance, and performance art
Notable artists featured include Cassiel Gaube (Dance Reflections Fellowship, Van Cleef & Arpels), Pam Evelyn (Visual Arts Fellowship with Pace Gallery), and Lina Lapelytė (Baroness Nina von Maltzahn Fellowship for the Performing Arts).
The event also marks the unveiling of two monumental outdoor sculptures: ABETARE (2024) by Petrit Halilaj, originally commissioned for The Met’s Roof Garden, and SUNRISE. East (2005) by Ugo Rondinone. Together, these works channel the exuberance and psychological depth of childhood creativity — a fitting prelude to Upside Down Zebra, a major exhibition opening in tandem with the benefit.
Curated by Brian Belott and Noah Khoshbin, in collaboration with early childhood specialist Jennifer DiGioia, Upside Down Zebra features works from the Rhoda Kellogg International Child Art Collection alongside responses from 40 contemporary artists. The six-gallery exhibition and outdoor installations explore the formative role of childhood imagination in the evolution of contemporary artistic practices.
All proceeds from SCRIBBLE support The Watermill Center’s renowned Artist Residency Program and public programming, which continue to shape the careers of over 1,600 artists from more than 90 countries. Guests at the benefit directly contribute to a global artistic community defined by experimentation, collaboration, and bold new ideas.
Tickets for SCRIBBLE start at $600, with a portion tax-deductible.
SCRIBBLE: The Watermill Center’s 2025 Summer Benefit
Presented by Van Cleef & Arpels
Dates:
- Friday, July 25: Artist Dinner, 7:00 PM
- Saturday, July 26: Festival, 6:00–9:00 PM; Afterparty, 9:00–11:00 PM
Location: The Watermill Center, 39 Water Mill Towd Road, Water Mill, NY 11976
For more information, visit www.watermillcenter.org
