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The Message Tree

Saying Goodbye to the Iconic Woodstock Message Tree

A 60-foot-tall red maple at the corner of Hurd Road and West Shore Road, just uphill from the Woodstock Monument, is the Message Tree.

During Woodstock, it functioned as a bulletin board with improvised notes on paper plates and signs on scraps of paper and cardboard. The tree's height and unique profile were a useful landmark on the Woodstock site. Located at the festival's crossroads, the Message Tree helped people navigate and find their friends.

An information booth was built nearby. Both the booth and the tree served as meeting points and places to leave messages. The Museum at Bethel Woods has ephemera that reads, with the first word looking like it was written in lipstick, "Susan - meet you here Saturday 11 AM, 3 PM or 7PM." 

In total, The Museum has 9 such original notes in its permanent collection. 

The Message Tree at the Woodstock 1969 Music & Art Fair. It sits at the crossroads of Hurd Road (North/South) and West Shore Road (East/West). It was highly visible from the Main Field and other areas of the site. Photograph by Lisa Law. Bethel Woods Collection.

The Message Tree during the festival from the crowd's perspective. Photograph by James Sarles. Bethel Woods Collection.

The Message Tree soon after Woodstock. Photograph by Paul Gerry. Bethel Woods Collection.

Woodstock attendees hang out next to the Message Tree with many notes pinned to its trunk. Photograph by Ilene Levine. Bethel Woods Collection.

Woodstock attendees near the Information Booth and Message Tree at the crossroads of Hurd and West Shore Roads. Photograph by Ilene Levine. Bethel Woods Collection.

Two notes that were removed from the Message Tree after Woodstock. Gift of Richard P. Van Etten. Bethel Woods Collection.

Keeping the legacy alive

As the Message Tree aged, structural issues and other problems threatened its longevity. In 2015, the decision was made to propagate the tree to preserve its DNA past the dwindling time the original tree had left. Arborists at Summer Hill Nursery took many cuttings of the tree, resulting in new saplings. One of these saplings already calls Bethel Woods home, with more to follow.

Experts from Bartlett Tree Services advised on the preservation of the original tree, working alongside Bethel Woods grounds staff to prolong the Message Tree's life for nearly another decade.

In 2024, experts determined that what remained of the Message Tree had low structural integrity and was in danger of falling. The tree was professionally removed to preserve the wood and to prevent an uncontrolled break or fall. 

In the spirit of keeping the legacy alive, we are seeking artists to create lasting works using the wood from the original Message Tree. 

These works will be exhibited as part of the Arts and Crafts of Woodstock exhibition at The Museum at Bethel Woods in 2025.

 

In recent years, the Message Tree has had many branches fall or were cut off after dying. A few clusters of leaves still emerged and changed color as the tree lived out its golden years.

Saplings rooted from the original Message Tree at the Summer Hill Nursery in 2015.

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Submission Process:

  • Submission Deadline: 12/31/2024
  • Notification of Selection: 01/31/2025
  • Project Completion Deadline: 06/01/2025

Proposals should be submitted via the web form by December 31st, 2024. Please attach photos of previous work and a sketch of the proposed artwork. Please note that Bethel Woods reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.