UPSIDE DOWN ZEBRA - WATERMILL CENTER

Upside Down Zebra explores the artistic value of imagination and children’s mark-making, its intrinsic role in cognitive development, and its profound influence on contemporary art. The exhibition features works from the Rhoda Kellogg International Child Art Collection, displayed alongside works from contemporary artists.

At a moment when self-expression is more vital than ever, Upside Down Zebra offers a radical reexamination of artistic value and human cognition, placing spontaneity and the untamed joy of creation at its core.
The exhibition stems from a previous project by Brian Belott, one of the curators of the show, who presented his sound scribble audio performances at The Watermill Center. After serving as artist-in-residence at the Center during the pandemic, “he now returns, both as artist and curator,” says co-curator Noah Khoshbin, adding that he is “utterly blown away by the quality and power” of the Kellogg Collection.
Spread across six galleries, Upside Down Zebra includes approximately 900 children’s works from the Rhoda Kellogg International Child Art Collection, presented alongside more than 35 contemporary artists in direct dialogue with Kellogg’s archive. Rhoda Kellogg was one of the foremost scholars of children’s art: exploring the spontaneity and significance of unfiltered mark-making in early childhood, her collection comprises millions of works created by children across developmental stages—from scribbles to finger paintings to pictorial works.
“The scribble itself is probably the most meaningful work that exists, because it’s where meaning is born and where form is born,” says Belott. “Kellogg dedicated her life to mapping the taxonomy of mark-making, from the scribble through its various stages.”
Through a wide range of approaches, the artists involved explore the theme of spontaneity, echoing ideas found in Kellogg’s research and collection. By placing historical works in conversation with contemporary responses, Upside Down Zebra underscores the enduring role of artistic play—celebrating the drip, the smear, the scribble, and the open gesture as fundamental forms of creative expression across generations.
Two major outdoor installations were unveiled on Saturday, July 26, during The Watermill Center’s Annual Summer Benefit: ABETARE (2024) by Petrit Halilaj, originally commissioned for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Roof Garden Commission, and SUNRISE.East (2005) by Ugo Rondinone.
Installed across the grounds of The Watermill Center, both works will be accessible to the public from dawn to dusk through spring 2026. This long-term exhibition reflects the Center’s ongoing commitment to presenting visionary contemporary art in dialogue with its unique natural setting. Upside Down Zebra is supported by Cadogan Tate, Loewe, Phillips, Duggal, Paul J Herman, The Herget Family Charitable Foundation, Phoebe Hearst Preschool, and the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development.

A program of talks, workshops, and interactive activities for audiences of all ages accompanies the exhibition, furthering its mission to elevate and explore the significance of children’s art. The exhibition is also dedicated to the late Watermill supporters Donald Baechler and Lisa de Kooning, both connected to the Kellogg Collection and represented with works in the show. Participating artists include: Donald Baechler, Michelle Segre, Jonathan Lasker, Gerald Jackson, Daisy Sheff, Jenny Brosinski, Rosabel Ferber, RJ Messineo, Carroll Dunham, Leomi Sadler, Matt Dillon, Darren Bader, Sivan Lavie, The Rhoda Kellogg Collection & Katherine Bernhardt, Chris Martin, Jamian Juliano-Villani, Keith Sonnier, Christopher Knowles, Anna De Los Reyes, Ross Simonini, Gerasimos Floratos, Christopher Wool, Andrea Pearlman, Kes Richardson, Bascha Mon, Misaki Kawai, Ugo Rondinone, Robert Nava, Eric N. Mack, Eddie Martinez, Marria Pratts, Josh Smith, Richard Tuttle, Alake Shilling, Terry Winters, Joe Bradley, Isla Hansen, Walter Price, Brian Belott, and Petrit Halilaj.