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WORKS ON WATER INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 825435814 · Form 990EZ · FY2025 · NTEE B90 · Education · Micro (<$100K) · worksonwater.org
revenue
$48K
expenses
$42K
net assets
$31K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

ORGANIZATION'S PRIMARY EXEMPT PURPOSE WORKS ON WATER IS AN ORGANIZATION AND TRIENNIAL EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO ARTWORKS, PERFORMANCES, CONVERSATIONS, WORKSHOPS AND SITE-SPECIFIC EXPERIENCES THAT EXPLORE DIVERSE ARTISTIC INVESTIGATION OF WATER IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT. WORKS ON WATER SEEKS TO STRENGTHEN AND NOURISH THE COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS WORKING ON THE BODIES OF WATER AND TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM TO INCREASE ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS WORKING ON AND WITH WATERWAYS.

profile · synthesized from sources

Works on Water Inc is a New York City-based nonprofit that produces triennial exhibitions and public art projects exploring water in urban environments through artistic practice. The organization commissions and presents site-specific artworks, performances, workshops, and conversations that engage with waterways as sites of ecological, social, and political significance. It fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among artists, scientists, planners, and activists to address climate change and environmental justice.

named programs · 6 · from sources

What they call their work

Residency Program
Supports artists working on, in, and with water through time-based, site-specific opportunities, including partnerships with institutions like the New York Aquarium
Tending the Edge
Artist-led response to NYC’s draft Comprehensive Waterfront Plan, creating site-specific works that engage mayoral candidates and the public on waterfront equity, climate resilience, and policy
Triennial Exhibition
Multi-sited exhibition and series of public art interventions on, in, and with urban waterways, held every three years to explore climate crisis, access, conservation, and care through water art
Walking the Edge
Participatory public artwork and urban planning initiative inviting residents to explore NYC’s 520-mile shoreline through walks, artist prompts, and civic engagement around the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan
Water Art Archive
Interactive geography mapping water art practices globally, launched during the 2025 Triennial to document and connect the growing field of water-based environmental art
Water Connectors
Neighborhood-based temporary public art projects connecting NYC communities vulnerable to climate change with their waterfronts, emphasizing resiliency, equity, and health
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Marine and Coastal Education Programs 2 activities
    • Advocate for marine conservation through artistic partnerships
      Builds public awareness and advocacy for marine ecosystems such as Hudson Canyon through collaborations with The Wildlife Conservation Society and the New York Aquarium, integrating scientific research and artistic practice to promote environmental protection.
    • Host participatory waterfront engagement programs
      Leads long-term, site-specific public engagement initiatives such as "Walking the Edge," which involves walking New York City’s 520-mile coastline in segments, and its pandemic-era adaptation that invited residents to explore local waterfronts through solo walks and virtual prompts. Also includes programs like Tending the Edge and Water Connectors—artist-led projects fostering community dialogue around climate resilience, equity, and waterfront access.
  • Site-Specific Artistic Installations and Performances 2 activities
    • Commission and present time-based and performance art on water themes
      Commissions and produces original performance art, immersive experiences, and time-based installations focused on water, including the world premiere of _NOT Water_ by Sheila Callaghan and Daniella Topol, Sarah Cameron Sunde’s durational performance 36.5 / A Durational Performance with the Sea involving over 1,000 participants, and activations of works by Nora Almeida, iki nakagawa, and Elizabeth Velazquez.
    • Organize triennial public art exhibitions on urban waterways
      Produces a large-scale, multi-sited public art exhibition every three years featuring commissioned artworks, performances, installations, and community conversations that explore water in the urban environment and respond to the climate crisis. The 2017 Triennial included 10 artist commissions, fieldworks across all five boroughs, and a world premiere immersive theatrical experience, while later iterations adapted into extended formats such as the three-year 2020–2022 exhibition.
  • Community-Engaged Public Art Projects 1 activity
    • Collaborate on urban planning and policy advocacy through art
      Partners with government agencies such as the New York City Department of City Planning and organizations like Culture Push to co-develop initiatives including Waterfront Planning Camp and Tending the Edge, using artistic interventions to raise awareness of the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan and influence public understanding of urban water policy.
  • Architecture and Design Public Education Programs 1 activity
    • Produce public workshops and collaborative knowledge-building events
      Facilitates cross-disciplinary workshops and educational events such as a human diagram of NYC’s water supply system, VR testing sessions for "Virtual Aquapolis," and skill-building workshops on protest sign-making, climate change embodiment, and infrastructure performance, often in partnership with civic or cultural institutions.
  • Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
    • Run interdisciplinary artist residency programs
      Hosts annual or project-based residencies for artists working on water-related themes, including the 2018 program that hosted 30 residents and the 2020 pandemic-era residency with 18 participating artists. Includes specialized programs such as "Live Art from the Deep" at the NY Aquarium in 2025, involving research expeditions to Hudson Canyon.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Operate a global Water Art Archive and define Water Art practice
      Maintains the Water Art Archive—an interactive, geography-based platform that maps and accepts submissions of water art globally—and developed a formal definition of Water Art in 2016 in collaboration with artists Eve Mosher, Sarah Cameron Sunde, and Nancy Nowacek to establish conceptual and artistic parameters for the field.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$48K
Contributions & grants$48K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income$20%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$42K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$31K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$31K
3 years on record · 2023–2025 · YoY revenue +144.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

paid leadership · 4
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
EMILY BLUMENFELD SECRETARY 5 $2K
CLARINDA MACLAW TREASURER 5 $1K
SARAH CAMERON SUNDE CO-CHAIR 5 $1K
NANCY NOWACEK CO-CHAIR 5 $100
relationships · 33

Who they work with

  • Carolyn Hall Partner — Co-founder and contributing artist/curator of Works on Water
  • Clarinda Mac Low Partner — Co-founder and contributing artist/curator of Works on Water
  • Culture Push Partner — Co-partnered with Works on Water and NYC Department of City Planning on the Walking the Edge project.
  • Culture Push Partner — Collaborates on large-scale exhibition events, Waterfront Planning Camp, Walking the Edge, and Tending the Edge.
  • Decades Out Partner — Partnered with Works on Water to co-host a day-long think tank on water and climate change.
  • Emily Blumenfeld Partner — Co-founder and contributing artist/curator of Works on Water
  • Eve Mosher Partner — Collaborated with Works on Water to define Water Art in 2016.
  • Guerilla Science Partner — Co-organized the 2017 Works on Water Triennial
  • Guerrilla Science Partner — Partnered in the production of large-scale exhibition events and conversations.
  • LMCC’s The Art Center on Governors Island Partner — Serves as the hub and central exhibition space for the 2025 Triennial activities.
  • Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Partner — Presents the Works on Water 2025 Triennial Exhibition as part of the 2025 River to River Festival
  • NY Aquarium Partner — Hosts the "Live Art from the Deep" residency on-site in September 2025
  • Nancy Nowacek Partner — Co-founder and contributing artist/curator of Works on Water
  • Nancy Nowacek Partner — Collaborated with Works on Water to define Water Art in 2016.
  • New Georges Partner — Partnered in the production of large-scale exhibition events and conversations.
  • New Georges Theatre Partner — Co-organized the 2017 Works on Water Triennial
  • New York Aquarium Partner — Hosted off-site live art events related to Hudson Canyon exploratory dives.
  • New York Aquarium Partner — Partners with Works on Water and the Wildlife Conservation Society to support Hudson Canyon awareness and advocacy.
  • New York City Department of City Planning Partner — Collaborated on Walking the Edge and Tending the Edge to inform the city's Comprehensive Waterfront Plan.
  • New York City Department of City Planning Partner — Collaborates on waterfront planning initiatives including Waterfront Planning Camp, Walking the Edge, and Tending the Edge.
  • North Brooklyn Boat Club Partner — Partner organization in the 2025 Triennial
  • Sarah Cameron Sunde Partner — Co-founder and contributing artist/curator of Works on Water
  • Sarah Cameron Sunde Partner — Collaborated with Works on Water to define Water Art in 2016 and contributed an essay to the Works on Water Triennial 2017 Catalogue.
  • South Street Seaport Partner — Partner organization in the 2025 Triennial
  • South Street Seaport Museum Partner — Co-hosted an off-site exchange event discussing Walking the Edge and contemporary water artworks in relation to the museum's collection.
  • South Street Seaport Museum Partner — Partner organization in the 2025 Triennial
  • US-Netherlands Water Management Network Partner — Collaborated with Works on Water to co-host a day-long think tank on water management.
  • US-Netherlands Water Management Network Partner — Partnered in the production of large-scale exhibition events and conversations.
  • Underwater New York Partner — Co-hosted a residency program with Underwater New York in 2018.
  • Waterfront Alliance Partner — Partner organization supporting the 2025 Triennial
+ 3 more
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Art as a Catalyst for Civic Engagement on Water Issues
    methodology: civic-engagement-through-art
    By using collaborative, community-based art practices centered on water, the organization builds civic agency and public engagement with climate change, because shared creative experiences foster empowerment and collective action.
  • Embodied and Experiential Engagement with Waterways
    methodology: embodied-knowledge-through-water
    By facilitating embodied, participatory interactions with water and urban water infrastructure, the organization cultivates environmental stewardship and knowledge, because physical and sensory experience deepens connection and understanding of ecological systems.
  • Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between Art, Science, and Policy
    methodology: art-science-policy integration
    By fostering collaboration among artists, scientists, urban planners, and environmental justice organizations, the organization generates innovative responses to water challenges, because integrating diverse epistemologies strengthens advocacy and broadens impact.
  • Water as Co-Creator in Artistic Practice
    methodology: water_as_collaborator
    By treating water as a collaborative partner and medium in artistic creation, the organization challenges extractive relationships with nature, because reciprocal engagement fosters ethical and sustainable models of interaction with ecological systems.