Join us on Saturday, June 28 from 5PM – 7PM for the opening reception of UPSIDE DOWN ZEBRA, curated by Brian Belott and Noah Khoshbin.
UPSIDE DOWN ZEBRA
June 28, 2025 – February 15, 2026
Upside Down Zebra explores the artistic value of children’s imagination, its inherent role in cognitive development, and its profound influence on contemporary art. Curated by artist Brian Belott and Watermill curator Noah Khoshbin, in collaboration with early childhood specialist Jennifer DiGioia, the exhibition features approximately 300 works from the Rhoda Kellogg International Child Art Collection alongside 40 contemporary artists whose works engage directly with Kellogg’s archive. At a moment when self-expression is more vital than ever, Upside Down Zebra offers a radical reexamination of artistic value and human cognition that prioritizes collaboration, spontaneity, and the untamed joy of creation.
Spanning across four indoor galleries, the first component of Upside Down Zebra presents approximately 300 pieces of children’s artwork, selected from the Rhoda Kellogg International Child Art Collection, alongside contributions from over 35 contemporary artists whose works engage directly with Kellogg’s archive. Through their diverse approaches, these artists embrace unfiltered spontaneity, highlighting the enduring impact of Kellogg’s research on contemporary artmaking. Curating collected works alongside responses from today’s artists, Upside Down Zebra underscores the continuity of artistic play across generations, celebrating the drip, smear, scribble, and open gesture as essential forms of creative expression.
On Saturday, July 26 at The Watermill Summer Benefit, the outdoor component will be unveiled with two large-scale installations: Petrit Halilaj's ABETARE series, originally commissioned for the Met Rooftop in 2024 and Ugo Rondinone's SUNRISE.EAST (2005). These installations will be on view through February 15, 2026, and are accessible dusk to dawn, 365 days a year.
(Artist list as of 5/16) Darren Bader, Donald Baechler, Brian Belott, Katherine Bernhardt, Joe Bradley, Jenny Brosinski, Matt Dillon, Carroll Dunham, Rosabel Ferber, Gerasimos Floratos, Petrit Halilaj, Isla Hansen, Gerald Jackson, Jamian Juliano-Villani, Misaki Kawai, Christopher Knowles, Jonathan Lasker, Sivan Lavie, Eric N. Mack, Chris Martin, Eddie Martinez, RJ Messineo, Bascha Mon, Robert Nava, Andrea Pearlman, Walter Price, Marria Pratts, Anna De Los Reyes, Kes Richardson, Ugo Rondinone, Leomi Sadler, Michelle Segre, Daisy Sheff, Alake Shilling, Ross Simonini, Josh Smith, Keith Sonnier, Richard Tuttle, Terry Winters, Christopher Wool
A series of talks, workshops, and interactive activities designed for audiences of all ages will occur throughout the exhibition’s run, furthering its mission to elevate and explore the significance of children’s art.
Upside Down Zebra is supported by Cadogan Tate, Phillips, Duggal, Paul J Herman, The Herget Family Charitable Foundation, Phoebe Hearst Elementary School Foundation & the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development.
