WVIA Premieres Latest Original Documentary Film, Upstate PA's Common Canvas PITTSTON, PA (wvia) - , The broadcast premiere of the new WVIA original documentary film, Upstate PA's Common Canvas airs Monday, March 22 at 7 p.m. on WVIA-TV.

Upstate PA's Common Canvas is a one-hour travelogue exploring the cities and towns of the Upstate Pennsylvania region in Bradford, Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. Using their post office artwork as historical markers, the film examines the geographic and cultural heritage that binds the region together, as well as the qualities, which make each community unique.

In times of economic hardship, Americans need to be reminded of the qualities, which make this country great; the virtues of hard work, pioneer spirit and the ability to take on new and exciting challenges. President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew this. In the midst of the Great Depression, Roosevelt's New Deal helped put millions of Americans back to work. In 1933, artists were called upon to do their part as well. They created works of art for government buildings, "expressing in living monuments," Philadelphia artist George Biddle explained, "the social ideals the New Deal was struggling to achieve."

These works of art were put on public display in communities across the country, but they didn't hang in galleries. They were on display at the post office. Each mural and sculpture reflected that town's own history and heritage. Eighty-eight such works of art were commissioned throughout Pennsylvania, the second-largest number of any state in the country.

The WVIA original documentary film, Upstate PA's Common Canvas, was made possible by funding from UPSTATE PA Northeast Pennsylvania Mountain Region, which is made up of the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, Schuylkill County Visitors Bureau, Lackawanna County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Encore presentations of WVIA's original documentary film, Upstate PA's Common Canvas will air Friday, March 26 at 9 p.m., Sunday, March 28 at 3 p.m., Sunday, April 4 at 7 p.m., Sunday, April 11 at 6 p.m., Monday, April 12 at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 15 at 8 p.m., Saturday, April 17 at 10 p.m., and Sunday, April 18 at 3 p.m.

Watch the trailer, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrzz6uTAO_0

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