Visiting with friends in Schuylkill County led a West Chester native to create a documentary about the Upper Schuylkill River.

Marisa Marlow's sojourn will be part of an afternoon filled with art, music and history as the Tamaqua Community Art Center presents "Art and the Upper Schuylkill River" on Sunday.In addition to the documentary, the afternoon will include a display of artwork created by Joe Evanousky and music by members of Blind Pigeon Records.Marlowe's documentary delves into the rich culture of art and music found in the coal regions surrounding the Upper Schuylkill River. Using the river as a metaphor, she connects the present to the past as the river meanders through a number of small towns. Collecting experiences and stories for more than a year after moving to Pottsville, Marlowe made connections with people and places."My experiences seamlessly unfolded into the documentary; the story wrote itself," she notes. She hopes the stories told in the film resonate with locals as she shares her love of Schuylkill County and the pride she feels in its history and culture. She sees exploring the river, whether by kayak, canoe or hiking as a gift she wants to share with others.Evanousky is known as the "Coal Mining Artist." His work captures the raw emotion and history of the once booming coal mining industry. In addition to his work featuring miners, he also has pieces capturing the women and children who labored alongside the men.The event will begin with acoustical music performed by Bill Whalen of Gleason's Drift, Jim Devlin of The Bleanies and Jerry Smith of the Margie Trick.The event will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at the art center, 125 Pine St., Tamaqua. It is free and open to the public, suitable for all ages. Light refreshments will be served.For more information, call 570-668-1192 or email

leona@tacp.info.