New exhibit a walk down memory lane
West Lawn resident John Dusko, 88, celebrates new Yocum Institute exhibition
Recovering from a broken hip, John Dusko wasn’t able to see his new exhibit at the Yocum Institute for Arts Education until it opened.
When he finally saw the gallery, prepared by his sons, he was knocked over.
“I couldn’t believe it was all my work,” the 88-year-old West Lawn resident said. “There it was. And I said to my son, ‘Tony, did I do all that?’ He said, ‘You sure did.’”
The more than 50 pieces in the show spotlight Berks County places, people and wildlife: Gring’s Mill and Blue Marsh recreation areas, the Astor Theatre, covered bridges, farm fields, train workers, a couple relaxing by a tree-lined path and much more.
“I like to just drive around, or if I know of a certain place that might have possibilities, I’ll go there and just look at it for a while and take pictures,” Dusko said. “And if a thing grabs me, then I know I have to paint that particular composition. I do try to put real feeling into the paintings so when people look at it, they feel what I felt.”
The exhibit, which opened in early July at the Spring Township academy, runs through Aug. 20. Admission is free. Masks are still required for guests.
“We are fortunate to have an exhibit by such a talented artist who excels in everything he does,” said Susan Rohn, Yocum’s executive director. “Walking through the gallery is a walk down memory lane
from exquisite Berks County landscapes and cityscapes to the charming portraits and still lifes.”
Dusko has been painting for over 75 years. Growing up in Pottstown, it was the only thing he wanted to do. He was aided in that journey by professional artist George “Bucky” Walters, who opened up a studio in town. Dusko became one of his first students.
“From that day on, wow, that was it,” he said. “And I just painted.”
He then enrolled in the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he studied illustration. He remembers thinking that if he got married and had children, he almost certainly wouldn’t be able to support them on paintings alone, so he decided to focus on commercial art.
His life detoured after graduation, when he was drafted into the armed forces for the Korean War. After leaving the service, he spent the next few decades in the corporate world, keeping a foot in artistic endeavors by designing layouts and ad campaigns.
“My art had to take a backseat, which I didn’t like,” he said, “but in that time I had gotten married and had children, so I had to support them.”
As time went by, the desire to return to painting kept getting stronger; the itch became almost unbearable after he started going to exhibits.
“My son Tony encouraged me to think about really getting into art,” he said. “And I was just about nearing retirement age, so I thought: ‘Well, why not. I’ll retire but I won’t retire.’
“And then I went full steam into fine arts and I haven’t stopped since.”
It’s been many years since Dusko’s last exhibit, one of the reasons his son encouraged him to take the plunge now. As such, some of the paintings in the Yocum gallery date back over 20 years.
He spends an average of three months completing each of his works, painting about three to four hours a day — “keeps me sharp,” he says. Though he’s nearing 90, Dusko doesn’t plan to hang up his paintbrushes any time soon. He’s going to keep it going as long as he can.
“Oh yeah,” he said. “There’s a lot of work I have to do yet.”