ACC mourns the recent passing of acclaimed theater director, experimental playwright, architect, set and lighting designer, visual artist, and founder of The Watermill Center, Robert Wilson on July 31, 2025, at the age of 83.  

Wilson founded The Watermill Center in 1992 on the site of a former Western Union communication research facility near Southampton, Long Island. The Center fosters research in the arts of the stage, providing young and emerging artists with a unique environment for creation and exploration in theater and all its related art forms, transcending age and experience, as well as social, religious, and cultural backgrounds. It also houses Wilson's extensive art collection for research, study and inspiration, as well as books, photographs, films, and other documents from the Robert Wilson Archive. The Center is owned and operated by The Byrd Hoffman Watermill Foundation (ACC grants between 1996-2013), a nonprofit dedicated to developing new approaches to the arts and providing young artists with opportunities for professional growth through interdisciplinary collaboration; Wilson was the Foundation’s Artistic Director.  

Wilson’s ACC grant brought him from the U.S. to Japan to observe theater and art activities in the fall of 1981. His experience through this fellowship expanded opportunities for other artists with continued impact via The Byrd Hoffman Watermill Foundation. Over 17 years the Foundation engaged with performers, directors, and artists from Bali, China, and Indonesia with the support of ACC’s Organization Grants to pursue cultural exchange and artistic collaboration. 

In an interview with ACC back in 2021, Wilson said "I've been very fortunate in life to have worked in Japan, Indonesia, China, Korea, the Middle East, Europe, North America, Latin America, etc. This October I'll be 80, and when I look back at my work, I can see that my work is primarily known in the theater. But my work in the theater is greatly influenced by all of these cultures—the experience of going to a flea market in Tokyo, or walking down the street in India..." 

Wilson enriched and developed the world of theater. His epic artistic legacy will be remembered across the globe. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. 

To learn more about Wilson's life, click here.

 

Photo by Bronwen Sharp, courtesy of Watermill Center