Oregon State University will host the first-ever Phish Studies academic conference, showcasing research about Phish, its fans, and culture. The three-day event will take place on May 17-19, 2019, in OSU’s Memorial Union. More than 50 presentations from scholars from more than 20 states and Canada will present at the conference. In addition to academic presentations, the conference will feature a number of special events, including art exhibits, community panels, a concert, and a documentary film screening.

The art show, “Below The Moss Forgotten: Phish in the Pacific Northwest,” will feature promotional materials and fan-created artwork that trace the band’s growth in the Pacific Northwest during the past nearly 30 years. The exhibit, curated by Alex Grosby, is a collaboration between PhanArt, The Phishsonian Institute, the Oregon State School of History, Philosophy, and Religion, and Benton County Museum.

Mockingbird Foundation board members Dr. Ellis Godard, Brian Feller, Scott Marks, David “ZZYZX” Steinberg, and Charlie Dirksen will host a community panel. During the question-and-answer session, panelists will answer questions solicited from Phish.net users prior to the event.

Benjy Eisen, music writer and co-author of Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead, will host a panel and book signing. Eisen co-wrote the book with Bill Kreutzmann, one of the founding members and drummer for the Grateful Dead.

There will be a soft premiere of the documentary, We’ve Got It Simple, a film by, for, and about Phish fans. The screening will be followed by a question and answer session with the film’s director, Michael Ryan Lawrence.

Left on Wilson, a Eugene-based band, will perform Friday, May 17 at Demaggio’s New York Pizza, 151 NW Monroe Ave., #102 Corvallis. Music begins after 10pm.

An exhibition fair will provide opportunities for businesses and artists from the Phish community to display, promote, and sell their work. Conference organizers are still accepting participants for the exhibition fair and seeking sponsors to support special events and a scholarship fund.

As is typical with an academic conference, registration is required. Register now to take advantage of the early bird rate, which ends on April 24. Fans who would like to support the conference may do so by sponsoring a special event, making a tax-deductible donation, or participating in the exhibition fair.

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