Bethel Woods Center For The Arts To Commemorate Woodstock's Golden Anniversary

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the nonprofit cultural center located at the National Register Historic Site of the Woodstock festival in Bethel, NY, will celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the greatest festival of all time with exhibits, events and programs throughout 2019.

The center, which features a museum dedicated to the sixties and Woodstock, state of the art performance spaces, and creative learning opportunities for all ages set on a bucolic Catskills campus, still draws people from near and far to its sacred grounds for shared experiences and a sense of community rooted in personal expression, kindness, and civility.

Darlene Fedun, chief executive officer at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts said, "Fifty years ago people gathered peacefully for a music event, but left as a community inspired to change the world through music. Our aim as stewards of the historic site is to honor that legacy and rekindle its spirit." Fedun added, "We remain committed to preserving the physical site and its legacy, and educating and inspiring new generations to contribute positively to the world through music, culture, and community."

The organization is devoted not only to ensuring that visitors understand and explore the impact of the social, political, and cultural experiences that emerged from the 1960s but to preserving the historic site as well. A key preservation project of the center, restoration of the Bindy Bazaar trails, will open to the public in 2019 guaranteeing the golden anniversary year will be not to miss. By re-creating the network of trails through the wooded area west of the Woodstock festival field there will be expanded interpretation of the historic site. The original trails were constructed for the festival to serve as the Bindy Bazaar, a grouping of 20 booths where vendors sold crafts, clothing, and exotic goods, and to connect two major areas of the festival grounds. Guests to The Museum will be able to explore the area and see historic evidence how the woods were used during the festival.

The Museum, as well as various creative learning programs, help people appreciate how the experiences of the sixties are inextricably linked to the values and freedom of culture expression and appreciation that we enjoy today. The center continues to expand programming and learning opportunities each year with changing special exhibits and moving film and lecture series. Some of Bethel Woods' 2019 programming includes, but is not limited to:

2019 Special Exhibits
March 30-December 31, 2019

The Museum at Bethel Woods presents We Are Golden - Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of the Woodstock Festival and Aspirations for an Aquarian Future, a very special exhibition that examines Woodstock and what the youth of 1969 wanted for the world, places the festival in the context of the positive societal changes it has spawned, and asks today's youth what THEY are asking the world to do now. Concert for Bangladesh, Live Aid, Farm Aid, We Are the World, Earth Day, the Peace Movement, Women's Movement, LGBTQ Movement, #metoo, the Women's March and student gun control movement have roots in the 1960s. This exhibition uses the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair as a metaphor for the tumult and human response of the entire decade of the sixties in the hope that young people today may draw inspiration to articulate what it is that they want from their own world in their own time.

We Are Stardust, the Corridor exhibit will present objects and interpretation related to the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing, an event which took place in July of 1969, just weeks before the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. The exhibit will interpret the objects and history surrounding the moon landing through the lens of American culture, examining the effect of the Cold War/Space Race, American space program, "moon mania," and the eventual national success of putting the first man on the moon on the lives of everyday Americans at the end of the tumultuous 1960s.


Lunar Weekend
May 17-19, 2019
Lunar Weekend will celebrate the evolution, tenacity, and legacy of the human spirit in honor of Woodstock's 50th Anniversary and other landmark 1969 movements. 1969 marked an exceptional year of cultural consciousness and many revolutionary ideas found their footing at this time. Space Exploration was a profound and peaceful transition that harnessed the power of media to reach people in ways never known before. The program will include films, hands-on activities, speakers, and out of this world fun.


Vibrations - Lectures, films & panel discussions
Bethel Woods will present a series of live conversations, demonstrations, workshops and round tables throughout the year, the content of which will be derived from The Museum, special exhibits, and of course, Woodstock's golden anniversary. This series of events - titled Vibrations - celebrates the power and possibility of the sixties and reflects on what that decade means to us today. The series launches in 2019 with eight unforgettable events bringing together change-makers, artists and influencers in order to open conversations, inspire thinking and awaken purpose. Events include "Peace, Love & Posters," a national poster design contest commemorating the iconic Woodstock poster while visually expressing kindness, community and our aspirations for the next fifty years, and "Deep Field", presented by Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre. "Deep Field" is a powerful new piece of music inspired by the Hubble Space Telescope, the world's most famous space observatory, and the iconic Deep Field image - its greatest discovery.
The series will emphasize the value of the arts and civic engagement and bring the legacy of the past into conversation with the movements of today.


Anniversary Brunch
The annual Woodstock Anniversary Brunch invites Woodstock alumni, friends and families back to the garden for a brunch in the Market Sheds overlooking the historic festival field. Date TBD.

Performances in the Event Gallery & Pavilion Stage
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock festival, a number of musicians who performed at the iconic festival will be invited once again to the hallowed grounds to perform.

Tickets are on sale now for the first confirmed performance, in the Event Gallery featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and '69 Woodstock alum John Sebastian, who will return to the site of peace, love, and music on Saturday, October 19.
The Pavilion Stage, with a 15,000 capacity has boasted acts from Elton John to Pitbull, and Zac Brown Band to The New York Philharmonic. In 2019, the amphitheater will host a variety of talent, Train & The Goo Goo Dolls with Special Guest Allen Stone was the first show to be announced, coming on Saturday, July 27.


Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival
August 16-18, 2019
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts together with Live Nation, the world's leading live entertainment company, and INVNT, a global live brand storytelling agency, will host Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival: Celebrating the golden anniversary at the historic site of the 1969 Woodstock festival.
This pan-generational music, culture, and community event will have three days of memorable experiences will include live performances from prominent and emerging artists spanning multiple genres and decades, and TED-style talks from leading futurists and retro-tech experts.


Those interested in staying up-to-date on the development of the schedule of events are encouraged to join email subscriptions via www.BethelWoodsCenter.Org.

In addition to all of its 2019 special events, the organization will continue providing museum education and creative programming to the region. Bethel Woods is deeply invested in the community and in the concept of societal improvement through increased accessibility, understanding, and appreciation of culture. This spring popular programs Project: Identity and Studio at the Woods return as Bethel Woods looks to expand its reach to include more and more students each year and ensure the arts remain an essential and accessible part of their lives. For a full list of upcoming programs please visit BethelWoodsCenter.Org.

Programs are made possible by the generous support of member, donors, grants, and fundraisers. There will be many opportunities to get involved in 2019. Visit BethelWoodsCenter.Org/support to learn more.
For patrons from around the world looking to commemorate the golden anniversary the organization is pleased to offer a limited time opportunity for them to make their own mark on history through an Anniversary Pavers Program. Each brick paver is etched with a personal message, stamped with an exclusive 50th anniversary insignia and will be incorporated into the classic design of the venue entrance pathway.

A one-time tax-deductible donation of $269 ensures that local, national and international visitors can explore and understand the social and political impact that emerged from the 1960s, as well as how these experiences are inextricably linked to the values of cultural expression and freedom that are enjoyed daily. Visit BethelWoodsCenter.Org/Paver to learn more.


Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit cultural organization, located at the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival in Bethel, NY. Located just 90 miles from New York City on a lush campus featuring bucolic countryside views, the Center is comprised of the Pavilion Stage amphitheater that accommodates 15,000, an intimate 440-seat indoor Event Gallery, and the award-winning Museum at Bethel Woods. The Center offers a diverse selection of popular artists, culturally-rich performances, and educational, community, and museum programs committed to inspiring expression, creativity and innovation through the arts. Bethel Woods is exemplary in its efforts to engage, inspire and advocate for the accessibility of the arts for all ages and to connect with community partners to broaden programmatic reach and to strengthen support and resources for its activities.

The Museum at Bethel Woods is dedicated to the study and exhibition of the social, political and cultural events of the 1960s, including the Woodstock festival, and the legacies of those times, as well as the preservation of the 1969 Woodstock festival site. More than a nostalgic celebration of a colorful decade, the award-winning Museum provides a focus for deeper issues and lessons of the decade. The Museum is a dynamic and vibrant community resource where individuals and groups of all ages participate in tours, lively lectures, cinematic conversations, changing exhibitions and special events. The Museum features include a permanent exhibit space, Special Exhibit Gallery, Corridor Exhibit Gallery, Museum Theater, Event Gallery, retail store, café, and the Woodstock Monument.

For more information please visit www.BethelWoodsCenter.org.

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