Robert Downey Jr. at The Watermill Center. Photo copyright Maria Baranova-Suzuki. 2017.
Craig Harris performing at The Watermill Center. Photo copyright Martyna Szczęsna. 2021.
Robert Wilson’s “Ubu” at The Watermill Center. Photo copyright Maria Baranova-Suzuki. 2023
Laurie Anderson performing at The Watermill Center. Photo copyright BFA. 2017.
Work History
Brian O’Mahoney has extensive experience working in event communications, brand development, format design, and public relations.
From 2016 to 2023, they operated as Communications Manager for The Watermill Center, an international artist residency program located in the heart of the Hamptons. While there, they coordinated all external communications, developed and implemented a brand style guide, organically quadrupled the size of their social media audience, and oversaw all public relations, including event promotion and coverage for The Center’s celebrated Annual Summer Benefit, cited as “where the creative illuminati of New York and beyond converge in a hedonistic celebration of performance art” (Office Magazine) and dubbed “the pinnacle of the Hamptons summer social scene” (Blackbook).
In 2024, they joined the accessibility consultation company, ACCESSforALL, as a freelance Communications Consultant with a focus on audience engagement, digital accessibility, and inclusive communications.
Obtained Press (linked to article)
ARTnews: At the Watermill Center’s Summer Party, Body-Testing Performance Art and a Bisected Cop Car Draw Crowds. 2023.
The Brooklyn Rail: Paul Thek: Interior / Landscape. 2021.
Cool Hunting: The Watermill Center’s Summer Benefit and Artist Residency. 2022.
Forbes: The Watermill Center Hosts Its Summer Benefit, Raises $1.7 Million. 2019.
Frieze: Christopher Knowles’s Playful Experiments. 2022.
Galerie: Robert Nava’s Whimsical Beasts Take Over The Watermill Center in the Hamptons. 2022.
Hypebeast: Regina José Galindo's Performative Ode in a Dismantled Cop Car at The Watermill Center. 2023.
The New York Times: Checking Out The Crowd. 2022.
Observer: A Perfect Storm of Art and Experimentation Descends on the Watermill Center. 2023.
Office: More Until There Is No More. 2019.
Surface: Mother Nature Crashed the Party at The Watermill Center’s Summer Benefit. 2023.
Vogue: Isabelle Huppert and Laurie Anderson Honored at the 24th Annual Watermill Center Summer Benefit. 2017.
Full List of Publications Includes: Architectural Digest, Artforum, Artnet News, ARTnews, The Art Newspaper, Artsy, Blackbook, Bloomberg, The Brooklyn Rail, Cool Hunting, Cultured Magazine, Forbes, Frieze, Galerie, Hamptons Magazine, Hypebeast, James Lane Post, Modern Luxury, The New York Times, Observer, Office Magazine, The Purist, Surface Magazine, Vogue, W Magazine, Wallpaper, The Wall Street Journal, Whitehot Magazine, Whitewall, and WWD.
Digital Accessibility
In 2024, O’Mahoney worked with ACCESSforALL to develop and launch a digital accessibility business training program. The series of workshops uses Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2) as a foundation to instruct businesses and their employees on the legal requirements for accessible digital content and the best practices of inclusive communications. ACCESSforALL’s digital accessibility program offers accessibility planning, communication audits, and workshops on audience engagement, document remediation, drafting inclusive communications, and sensory-friendly design.