Mark's Big Painting for Woodstock '94

In 1993, the library had acquired a new thing, the internet, and, by the spring of 1994, droves of people were coming in to see what it meant and leaving somewhat confused and not at all convinced that it would make any difference at all in their lives. It was thrilling to run a listserv (a very early social network) about Woodstock, and we were hearing from people all over the world who intended to come to the Saugerties festival.  The festival itself was to feature a sort of internet café.  The whole idea was new to most people with the exception of people associated with colleges and universities.  I had email, but my only contact outside of library colleagues was a High School friend and physicist, Rudi Thun, who was at the University of Michigan. 

Mark, who was still very annoyed at the trade marking of the words “Woodstock Festival”,   made a bulletin board display of the many booklets from Woodstock’s past that had the words “Woodstock Festival” clearly in the title, and he composed a time line of the history of festivals in Woodstock.  Next, he created a block print of a dove behind bars, and began his own limited poster campaign that, for the most part, involved leaving many copies in the library.  Soon, Bill, a local tee-shirt entrepreneur and friend to Mark, took the imprisoned dove image and put it on a shirt.  Bill also made bumper stickers of Mark’s semi-provocative sign, “Woodstock Walk to Saugerties Festival” which resulted in a visit by the State Police to check to see if Mark was planning some sort of political action. 

Suddenly, Mark was arrested for taking his bumper stickers out of a local store.  He protested that he had not given permission for them to be sold, so the owners, new to Woodstock, had him arrested.  Bill bailed him out and convinced him to stay a while at his house on Overlook Mountain to cool out for a few days.  When Mark reappeared, he had clean clothes, washed hair, and a new idea.  He had been invited to submit an artwork to the festival, and he had big plans.  He would paint a 20 foot high youthful Buddha with a guitar on his back.  It would be a contemporary design but following all the rest of the color traditions required.

I did not see Mark for days.  When he disappeared, I got worried and went to check his house.  Papers with a detailed design of his Buddha project surrounded him.  (He studied engineering before going to law school, so the design was quite exact.), and on the lawn were four sheets of plywood.  The trouble was he needed help, so Mark Wetterau stepped in with his construction knowledge and tools, and together, they created a structure that could be easily disassembled and moved.  I added a very tall wooden ladder, and the project was launched. 

My brother, Norman, and I stopped by to see how the project was going. Mark was having his own festival on his lawn on Old Forge Road. More exactly, he was balanced precariously on the top of a tall ladder painting while people watched, commented, brought soda and pizza, sat in the grass and enjoyed the scene.  Congo Ritchie brought his drum, and his companion Maxine contributed some paint.  Everyone seemed mesmerized by the unique sight:  Mark on top of a huge ladder painting a twenty foot high, guitar toting Buddha, people sitting in the uncut grass of the little lawn.

Mark was also asking people what they thought the meaning of “Woodstock” might be.  He asked Congo Ritchie his thoughts on the ideal art colony.  Congo said that it would consist of a drum circle around a campfire similar to the events in the Magic Meadow.  The circle would be only men.  Women would have a role in providing cigarettes and beer to the circle of men.  Mark listened to Congo with great respect asking questions and nodding at the answers.

I did not attend the festival.  I don’t like crowds.  Mark told me he managed to go in the festival area a couple of times during the weekend just to check on his work.  It had been placed inside the grounds near stage number 2.  When the event was over, people walked off with a good deal of the art projects.  The Buddha’s head was stolen, but Mark told me it had eventually been returned.  I do not know who ended up with the work. 

When the video of Woodstock ’94 came out, Mark scrutinized the screen for about two hours and finally located a picture of his Buddha.  Placing the videotape on pause, we could see that it had stood unharmed and uncrushed during the general mayhem, rainy weather and mash of humanity. 

The 1969 Festival anniversary is still celebrated by some although the memory of that event as a world-changer is fading.  Now, Woodstock has moved south near the original Yasgar’s Farm, and it is a pleasant music venue with a museum devoted to hippie baby boomers and their youthful styles and hopeful politics.  Woodstock, New York, is still secure in the feeling that it reflects the magic of the hippie era.   On Sundays, a drum circle absent Congo Ritchie and Maxine both of whom passed on some years ago, takes place on the Green and is enjoyed by many.