Johnny Dwork facts for kids

Johnny Dwork, born on October 22, 1959, is a super talented person! He's a two-time world champion in flying disc freestyle (that's like fancy frisbee tricks!). He also knows a lot about the band Grateful Dead, writes books, plans cool events, and creates amazing art.

Early Life

Johnny Dwork grew up in New York City. He is the only son of Dr. Kerry and Bonnie Dwork.

Johnny Dwork's Amazing Career

Flying Disc Freestyle Champion

Johnny Dwork is a two-time world champion in flying disc freestyle. This means he's one of the best in the world at performing cool tricks with a frisbee! He even has a special college degree in "Professional Flying Disc Entertainment and Education" from Hampshire College. He earned this unique degree in 1984.

Grateful Dead Expert and Author

While at Hampshire College, Johnny started a club about the band Grateful Dead. He also began writing a newsletter called DeadBeat about the band. After college, he helped publish another newsletter called Terrapin Flyer.

Later, Johnny co-founded an international music magazine called Dupree's Diamond News. He was its editor and publisher for ten years. He also helped write and edit The Deadhead's Taping Compendium. This award-winning, three-volume book is like an encyclopedia of the Grateful Dead's music recordings. In 2013, the Grateful Dead even included an essay by Johnny in a special book. This book came with their Sunshine Daydream box set, which is one of their most popular live concert recordings.

Event Producer Extraordinaire

Johnny Dwork learned a lot about putting on shows from Bill Graham when he was in college. Johnny is known for creating "transformational festivals." These are special events based on cool stories and themes. They also focus on protecting the environment and getting the audience involved.

Johnny is the Creative Director of Peak Experience Productions. He has helped create many music and performance art festivals across the United States. These include the Gathering of the Vibes Festival. He has also produced events at famous places like New York City's Wetlands Preserve.

Multimedia Artist

Johnny Dwork created something really cool called the L'HA! Laser Harp Alembic. This amazing art piece was shown at the Harmony Festival in 2011. It was also featured at the Portland Art Museum in 2012. Later, it appeared at The Tech Museum of Innovation in 2014 and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in 2015.

Activist for Change

Johnny Dwork has always been active in helping society and the environment. As the publisher of Dupree's Diamond News, he worked with The Nature Conservancy. Together, they raised money and awareness to help save thousands of acres of endangered rainforest.

In the 1980s, Johnny was the President of the Pioneer Valley Resettlement Project. He also advised the founder of Wetlands Preserve, a famous activist nightclub. Johnny is even featured in a film about the club called "Wetlands Preserved, The Story of an Activist Nightclub." He also serves on the boards of many non-profit groups, like The Threshold Foundation.