Work'n on Woodstock: And Some Other Stories

During the summer of 1969 Bill Ward was the Field Art Director of The Woodstock Music Festival in upstate NY. This is the story related in this book. In his words, “A young man or woman born in the early 50’s who would be at Woodstock. Who they were and how they got that way. To paraphrase my friend Jon, (I could) flesh out a tale of how a small town boy made his way in the art world of the time and how that led him to play a significant role in one of the most famous contemporary events of the period.

I could invent a young fictitious person, a typical Woodstock festival goer, whose description might help define what that kind of person could be led to Woodstock and why. This story became Bill’s own story, of how a talented young artist climbed the academic ladder, observed and participated in the political, social and educational upheaval, and ended up in the center of one of the most pivotal cultural episodes of the twentieth century.

New insights into the time are illustrated with Bill’s own black and white sketches. This is a thoughtful, real, I-was-there memoir of the tumultuous time everyone has an opinion about. Where were YOU in 1969?

Bill Ward was born in Selma, AL in 1929 and moved to Miami, FL in 1936. He attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. After working in New York as a graphic designer, he returned to Miami and became a member of the Art Department faculty of the University of Miami. A steady advance in his academic and artistic career followed.

He taught from 1960 to 1993, and became the head of the graduate and undergraduate sculpture programs. During 1969 and ‘70 he was the Acting Chairman of the Art Department and Acting Director of the Lowe Art Museum, and became a full professor in 1974. He retired from the U of Miami as Professor Emeritus in 1993.

In 1960 he was World’s Champion and National Champion Go Kart driver. In 1996 he drove his Sports Car Club of America race car to an amateur championship. Bill has retained his love of cars and racing and is an avid automobile buff.