“Conflict and Consensus” is the theme of the 18th annual Ozarks Studies Symposium set for Sept. 18-20 at the West Plains Civic Center.

Hosted by Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP), the event celebrates various aspects of Ozarks culture and history through a variety of presentations and performances.

Support is provided by the West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA); the Department of Arts, Letters, and Education at MSU-WP; and the Ozarks Heritage Research Center at Garnett Library on the MSU-WP campus.

“The presenters at this year’s conference engage with a broad array of topics, some directly related to the theme and others with a more tangential connection,” says Dr. Jason McCollom, associate professor of history at MSU-WP and coordinator of the symposium. “These topics include Ozarks-based fiction and poetry, studies on a variety of historical-based conflicts, land and food, health, biographies of impactful Ozarkers, and storytelling,” McCollom explained.

“Connecting with the presenters and the community has always been an important aspect of the symposium as well. Community members are always warmly welcomed at all the panel presentations,” McCollom added.

WPCA Art Exhibit

As in past years, WPCA will sponsor an event related to the symposium’s theme beginning at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 18.

The Harlin Museum will present an exhibit called “War in the Ozarks” featuring artwork, photos, and artifacts from their collection. The collection includes historical materials about Ozarkers who served in all the national conflicts as well as stories and artists’ renderings of local skirmishes of the Civil War. Refreshments will be served, and representatives from the Harlin Museum will be available to discuss the exhibit.

Keynote Address

The symposium’s keynote address begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, in the Magnolia Room. Olivia Paschal of the University of Virginia will present a talk titled “Creating the Neoliberal State: Arkansas in the Clinton Era.” Paschal will discuss the corporate impact of companies such as Wal-Mart and Tyson Foods on Northwest Arkansas, and their relations with Gov. Bill Clinton’s political machine in the 1980s. “As Northwest Arkansas continues to be reshaped by corporate interests, Paschal’s research illuminates the precursors to a changing Ozarks,” McCollom noted.

For more information about the symposium and presenters, visit OzarkSymposium.WP.MissouriState.edu or visit the symposium’s Facebook page, Facebook.com/OzarksSymposium.