The images are part of “River Docs: A Catawba River Narrative,” an exhibit featuring the work of six artists who documented the story of the river — a river that brings life to the Carolinas.

The six were commissioned to document the river for one year — from the fall of 2006 through summer 2007 — from the headwaters that lie just below North Carolina’s Mount Mitchell to South Carolina’s Lake Wateree, where the river’s name changes.

The project was a collaboration between the Culture and Heritage Museums and The Light Factory in Charlotte, where it was previously shown. The exhibit opens today with a reception at the Museum of York County, where it will remain through Jan. 4, 2009.

Ashley Barron, public relations coordinator, said the exhibit’s focus on the river and on environmental issues in the region is an example of the type of programming the CHM is planning with its new Museum of Life and the Environment.

Exhibitions manager Teresa Armour said the exhibit features a total of more than 50 images contributed by three photographers — Raymond Grubb, Nancy Pierce and Byron Baldwin — each of whom photographed a different section of the river.

“The photographs are beautiful, but they’re also provocative,” said Armour, who noted that many of them juxtapose the natural beauty with evidence of the presence of man.

For example, Pierce’s photographs include drought-related algae blooms, an aerial view of permitted discharge from Bowater and a misty morning scene with a jarring GPS symbol painted on rocks at the river’s edge.

Baldwin photographed a water intake area clogged with trash, including a collection of plastic soda bottles, images of the Lake Wylie dam and workers building docks on the river.

A second part of the exhibit is a 60-foot fabric installation that serves as a visual representation of the river and its geography, by Marek Ranis and Maja Godlewska. The curtain-like fabric will be hung from rods on the ceiling of the exhibit area.

The final aspect of the exhibit is a multi-media work by Mike Wirth, which includes an electronic touch screen filled with small, floating photographs of the river, contributed by community members, and an audio aspect.

Viewers touch the screen to enlarge a chosen photo. The audio portion, which is played in the exhibit area, includes people sharing their memories of and experiences on the river.

Armour said one of the goals of the river exhibit is to “make people aware of the river and its pivotal value in our lives and how it touches our lives every day.”

She noted the severe drought over the past year has been part of an awakening in residents’ understanding of the river’s importance to the region.

“It’s really brought to the forefront people’s understanding of the river and where their water comes from,” she said. “I think the past year has really been a good awakening for most folks.”

Jennifer Becknell • 329-4077 • jbecknell@heraldonline.com

Want to go?

What: “River Docs” a Catawba River Narrative,” an exhibit featuring the work of six artists, including photography, a fabric installation and a multimedia exhibit.

When: Opening today, with 6 to 8 p.m. reception, and continuing through Jan. 4, 2009. Brief presentations will be given at 6:30 and 7:30 tonight on the Culture and Heritage Museums’ planned river programming.

Where: Museum of York County, Rock Hill.

Note: This exhibit is the result of a collaboration between the Culture and Heritage Museums and The Light Factory in Charlotte, where it was previously exhibited.

Cost: Museum admission is $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 ages 4 to 17 and free for members and children 3 and younger.