Reading:
The Way We Were - Historical Paintings of
Berks County
by John Dusko
March
2, 2002 - July 7, 2002
In
conjunction with the 250th Anniversary of
Berks County, the Reading Public Museum
will exhibit Reading: The Way We Were
- Historical Paintings of Berks County
by John Dusko. This exhibit will feature
12 of Dusko's original paintings including
Neversink Mountain Hotel, The Thrill
of the Symphony, and Trolleys,
Theaters and Times Past. The exhibit
will run through July 7, 2002 and is included
with regular Museum admission of $4 adults,
$2 children 4 to 17. Members and children
under 4 are admitted free.
John
Dusko is originally from Pottstown, PA,
but has spent the last thirty plus years
in Reading, PA. As a young boy he always
knew his calling was to be an artist and
started studying art at the age of 10 with
well-known local artist George "Bucky"
Walters. He continued his studies in fine
art and painting throughout his high school
years and eventually graduated in 1954 from
the prestigious New York School of Visual
Arts with a degree in Illustration and Graphic
Design. Dusko credits much of his early
and present success in the arts to his college
teacher and mentor, internationally know
artist Burne Hogarth, who at the time Dusko
was attending college, was creating the
drawings and illustrations for the "Tarzan"
character. The influence of Mr. Hogarth
can be evidenced in all of John's remarkable
"true to life" work.
After
college and a stint in the Army, Dusko returned
home to work in advertising. As an Art Director,
he designed magazines and Christmas cards,
created original illustrations, and accepted
numerous personal commissions from clients.
His original works can be found in personal
collections up and down the East Coast.
In
1994, Dusko began a series that has captured
the hearts and memories of Berks County
residents. Donald Fishburn and Michael Fasig
asked John to create a series of historical
prints of Reading and Berks County that
would be published in limited edition form
and signed and numbered. The Reading
Railroad Outer Station was the first
print in the series and was an immediate
success. That print was followed by the
extraordinary Trolleys, Theaters and Times
Past a print of famous Penn Street, circa
1941. Then came The Thrill of the Symphony,
an original oil painting created for the
Reading Symphony Orchestra (RSO). A special
limited edition was reproduced and the original
was donated to the RSO 1996. For Reading's
250th Anniversary, John created By the
Railways which is now available as
a print.
John and his wife Ann have five children
and reside in West Lawn, PA.
Robert
Metzger, Ph.D
Director, CEO, Chief Curator Reading
Public Museum
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