The Morning Call from Allentown, Pennsylvania • 59

ARTS ENTERTAINMENT FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1979 SECTION Chronicling nature's signs By ROBERT C. KOTOWSKI Of The Morning Call George Bockius first public art exhibition was hand-lettered cards describing a Philadelphia doctor's plastic models of the inner ear at an Atlantic City medical convention in 1934. Today, the only canals among Bockius' 30 oil paintings hanging at His Own, art gallery in Skippack Village are his scenes of the Chesapeake Bay area. Bockius, living in Marlborough Township for 29 of his 66 years, describes himself as a semiretired sign painter whose ambition as a youth in the Mount Airy section of THE AREA'S sylvan quality, particularly the continually changing sky, partially drew Bockius and his wife Martha to Marlborough Township from Chestnut Hill in 1950.. Also, he says, they 'had a rambunctious boy, a 3-year-old" whose curiosity and energy needed more room to roam.

That boy, George W. is a pilot for Allegheny Airlines. "When my wife was here a month, she wanted to go back to Bockius recalls. "For months the only thing we saw moving was a neighbor's dog." After a year Mrs. Bockius, a registered nurse who works part-time at Grand View Hospital.

Sellersville, handed her husband the original sale sign for their property as a birthday present and told him she wanted to stay in the valley. Bockius was asked what he would want to know if he was interviewing himself. "I'd ask, 'Have you had a full life'?" He answered. "I guess so and just hope that the Lord will let me go a little longer till I can really do more of what I want to, and that's express myself as I see nature." IT SHOWS IN his work. Some of Bockius' paintings have a pastel appearance in texture and hue, a quality Bockius hadn't noticed before.

i "That's interesting," he says. "I never thought of it. -I'll have to look at it in that light." Bockius works toward what he terms an 'elegant simplicity" in his paintings, "a really difficult task." He says it is a delicate balance of "actually abstracting to get the yet, I don't want to abstract to the point where it's a nonobjective painting," Through his paintings of Sumneytown, the Unami Creek, Green Lane and other Upper Perkiomen Valley scenery, Bockius "has become a chronicler of the its countryside, recording its old buildings, its commonplace sightsit changing face," according to Wechtler's description of Bockius' exhibit. "I don't know if I'm a chronicler really," Bockius says. "I think the Upper Perkiomen Valley has so much beauty to it.

It's one of the most beautiful for painting. Many people don't realize it." From his Upper Ridge Road home until the trees grew to a height which partially blocked it Bockius could see as far as Hereford Township. Philadelphia was to be an illustrator. "I don't know how I got interested in it," he says. "I guess it was just there, that's all." BOCKIUS' UPBRINGING as the second youngest of Charles and Martha Bockius' three sons and three daughters was not particularly art-oriented.

But "there must be some sort of art streak running through the family," muses the silver-haired, casually dressed Bockius." His cousin, David Bockius, is an architect in Seattle, Wash. Bockius' daughter Susan is a botanical illustrator. There is a distant relationship with stained-glass artist Morgan Bockius in Hartsville. "And Wyeth's mother is a Bockius," he says. "We traced that back.

We had the same great-great-grandfather, Christopher Bockius. "I don't know if I should say that. Do you think I should? It sounds like I'm trying to climb onto Wyeth. I'm nothing of his stature," Bockius' venture into landscape painting as a vocation did not begin in earnest until he met Charles Gardener, founder of the Upper Perkiomen Valley Art Center. "I think he really, really got me started," Bockius says.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he trained with Gardener and artists Paul Gorka, H. Theodore Hallman Sr. and Louise Stahl. He enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, but there was "very little instruction" because of the class sizes. By then, he says, painting styles had changed dramatically since his days studying industrial art.

They were "more way out" in the 1960s and '70s. "It was raw color. I like a more subtle use of color." fljff 1 Instead, he developed skills in sign painting and lettering while attending night classes at the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Art (now the Philadelphia College of Art). In the Depression years, an illustrator's career, as with most occupations, "was dead," according to Bockius. He speaks with animation a sparkle in A George Bockius puts finishing touch on one of nis lanascapes his blue eyes while telling about the descriptive cards he lettered for Dr.

James Mendel in 1934. They were payment for a medical bill he owed the ear, nose and throat specialist. It was the same enthusiastic, yet softly spoken manner he had when he proudly pointed out that his exhibit (continuing through June 30) at Robert and Betsy Wechtler's six-month-old gallery is his first one-man exhibition since his subtly toned, simple landscapes of the Upper Perkiomen Valley, Chesapeake Bay and Nova Scotia began bringing him recognition as an artist in 1972. BEST BETS Books, and author of the recently published, critically acclaimed book. "Sleepless Nights," visits with Dick Cavett tonight.

WQM? TV CHANGES All events listed are open to the public (Please calf 820-6531 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.) HIGHLIGHTS ing, suspenseful and tension-filled drama. (R) CB FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIE. "Hot Rod." Made-for-TV 19791. As the title suggests, this is an opus about the National Drag Racing Championships set in a small Southern town with more than its share of corrupt politicians.

Teen-aged girls are probably the best audience for this predictable racing car adventure since its two stars are rugged and handsome Grant Goodeve "Eight Is Enough ') and Gregg Henry (the young ensign in "Pearl" 11:00 THE DICK CAVETT SHOW. Elizabeth Hardwick, an advisory editor of The New York Review of 9:00 S) (D THE ROCKFORD FILES. "Black Mirror." James Garner's consistently charming, charismatic Jim Rockford stars in a two-hour special that's more than usually appealing. For one thing, his client turns out to be a beautiful, courageous blind woman with an active practice as a psychologist, who is suddenly brutally accosted by a man in the hall of her office building, and plagued by phone at home. How Rockford becomes romantically involved with the lady, and how he urges her to consider that her assailant might be one of her patients develop into an absorb 1:00 (3) (D THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL.

Sister Sledge, the popular disco and (Rhythm and Blues group now climbing the Top 40 charts, made their first appearance as hosts here last April. The four sisters perform a number of songs from their newest hit album, including "He's the Greatest Dancer" and "We Are Family." Also on hand are the Village People "In the Navy" Olivia Newton-John "A Little More Love" and Al Stewart "Song on the Radio" and "Time The following information was received after TV Channel Choices magazine, went to press: 8:00 p.m. 6,7,16 WELCOME BACK, KOTTER. Tonight's special one-hour episode is "Oo-Oo, I Do." When Horshack receives the bad news that his mother has married again and he will have to move, leaving the sweathogs and Buchanan High behind, he decides to take his own giant step to the alter. (R) Today Tomorrow GYMNASTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS, Women's Jr.

National, finals, 7 p.m., Allen HS Phys. Ed. Center; tickets 433-0011. INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCE Performance by La Rae Johnson, 7:30 p.m., Arts Cooperative, 23 E. Broad Bethlehem; tickets, 867-6665.

info. 432-1009 or 439-9494. THE ARTS Today DISPLAY, "Cycles on Display," Palmer Park Mall, Easton, through Mon. THEATER "Pippin," 8:30 p.m., Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope. Tickets, 862-2041.

"The Norman Conquests," 8:30 p.m., Percy Brown's, Whitehall Mall. An Applause Dinner Theatre production. Tickets, 967-4589. "Godspoll," return engagement, 8 p.m., DeSales Allentown College. 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 MacNEIL People's Bus.

w.eu wrc WALL nnwi ucnuiM MASTERPIECE nir AD- Q3 LEHRER HARRISBURG W.tSMK STREET ROYAL HERITAGE THEATRE auptt mc REPORT REPORT IN REVIEW WEEK Queen Victoria Part XI Lillie." CAVErr NEWS NBC EVENING DIFF'RENT HELLO, ROCKFORD Fit F5 JOHNNY 3J NEWS MAGAZINE STROKES LARRV HOCKrOHD FILES NEWS CARSON T0'UTGAHC' W0ETLTCERMEBACK' NEWS flS NEWLYWED Kg" "KES OF HAZ2ARD DALLAS NEWS stTlSLT THIS WEEK CAROL porn (JT) IN BURNETT THE ROOKIES THE REBELS (Conclusion) "-Sflv MiTrHrorif BASEBALL FRIENDS SMART HITCHCOCK MARY MOVIE Thriller BW) RPNNY MOVIE- IB JYLER SUPERMAN "fPnment in Terror." uJll "A Woman MOORE Glenn Ford, Stephanie Powers n'uu Rebels." MOVIE Adventure MAKE ME vaS nvKP "Reap the Wild Wind." LAUGH S0AP AND SON VAN DYKE Ray Milland, John Wayne LAUun gill NEWS 1 HEROESS 1 JA0DUvTNETURg 0UPR8 PHJL DONAHUE NEWS BONANZA 700 CLUB An ACT One Production. Tickets, 282-3192 or 282-1100. "Bye Bye Birdie," 8 p.m.. Civic Little Theatre, 19th Street Theatre, Allen town. Tickets, 432-8943.

"The Curse of an Aching Heart," old YOUR HEALTH Free Blood Pressure Clinic, 11 a.m.-l p.m., Staller's Pharmacy, 5th and W. Broad streets, Bethlehem; sponsored by American Heart Assn. Fre Hearing Screenings, 10 a.m. -7 p.m., 1409 N. Cedar Crest Allen-town, sponsored by First Federal Savings.

BICYCLE RACES, 7:30 p.m., Lehigh County Velodrome, Routes 222 and 100, Trexlertown; admission. Si or $2. Into, 965-6930. GAME NIGHTS Card Party and grocery bingo, 8 p.m., Aquashicola Fire admission 75-cents. Richland Firt and Rescue 7 p.m., 21 Quaker Way, Quakertown; features bingo.

Fountain Hill American Legion, 7:30 p.m., 1205 Broadway, to benefit youth baseball teams; features bingo. COFFEEHOUSE, Carpenter's Den, sponsored by First Presbyterian Church, 8 p.m., 3002 S. 2nd Hokendauqua, featuring "The Messengers, love offering. PRESENTATION, "The Parade of the Planets, 1982," by Anne and Elmer Fehnel, 6:30 p.m., Phoebe-Devitt Home, Allen town. DANCE, Solo Persons, 10 p.m., St.

Nick's, 170 Allen Allentown. time western melodrama, opening performance, 8:30 p.m., Dutch Country Playhouse, Rt. 563, Green Lane, Tickets, 723-6377 or dinner theater, 234-4809. FILM, "Duck Soup," 6:30 and 10 p.m. and "Animal Crackers," 8 p.m., J.I.

Rodale Theatre, 837 Linden Allentown; Free Hall Theatre Co. Spring Film Festival. Adm. info. 433-3394.

DANCING Saucon Square and Round Dancers, 7:30 p.m., 40 E. Broad Bethlehem. Club Level Dance with Dalt Young and Hugh Graham. Curli-Cs, Modern Western Square Dance Club, workshop: experimental and quarterly selections, 7:30 p.m., American Legion, N. 3rd Emmaus.

WEATHER FORECAST FOR TODAY Please See CALENDAR Page D4 TODAY 65 18C Rain, 55 13C thunderstorms TOMORROW 65 18C Cloudy, 50V 10C cool, showers SUNDAY 70V 21 Fair, cool 44 7C MONDAY 72V 22C Partly cloudy 49 9C TUESDAY 72V 22C Chance of 53 12C THE LEHIGH VALLEY A flash flood watch is in effect today. Periods of rain and occasional thunderstorms today and tonight. High today in the mid-60s 18C). Low tonight around 50 IOC Considerable cloudiness, cool and a chance of showers tomorrow. High again in the mid-60s 18C).

The chance of precipitation is near 100 percent today and 60 percent tonight. Winds north-northeast at 5-15 miles per hour. Winds averaged 8 m.p.h. from the east-northeast yesterday with a max- imum sustained wind of 13 m.p.h. from the south-southwest at 11 p.m.

The high was 73 23C) at 2:30 p.m.. and the low was 57 at (140 at 1 a.m. Precipitation totaled 1.36 inches. -Sunrise today 5:37 a.m. Sunset tonight 21 p.m.

Sunrise tomorrow 5:36 a.m. THE POCONOS Flash flood watch in effect today, and periods of rain and occasional thunderstorms through tonight. High today in the mid-50s. Low tonight in the 40s. Considerable cloudiness and cool with a chance of showers tomorrow.

High in the 50s. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent today and 70 percent tonight. Winds north to northeast at 545 m.p.h. THE NATION Areas of showers in the Dakotas and Minnesota today. Rain alsojs expected in theiortheast.

Teen Disco Night, 8-11 p.m., 25 I I Vbbw I rzs 1 uoia Warm Bethlehem YWCA, 7 E. Market showers $1. NATiQNAi. AEATViER SERV'CE WAP SPECIAL EVENTS GYMNASTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS, Women's Jr. National, Optional Rounds, 2 and 7 p.m., Grace Hall, Lehigh U.

Tickets, 433-0011. finals, 7 p.m., Allen HS Phys. Ed. Center. CARNIVALS Emma us Fire Co.

No. 6-11 p.m., Lee and Main streets, through Sat. Grtonwich-Lenhartsvillo Elementary School Parents Club, 5-10 p.m., school, Lenhartsville R.l; entertainment by Happty Dutchman Band. Rain or shine. READING AIR SHOW, 4 p.m., Municipal Airport, Reading; $5 adults and $2 children.

Info. 375-8551. HOLIDAY REST STOP, beginning 6 p.m.-midnight Campbell's Getty Service Station, Rt. 309, Line Lexington, 5 miles south of Souderton; coffee, doughnuts, info. POPPIES Sale by American Legion, Palmer Park Mall, through tomorrow.

DINNER, sauerkraut, 5 p.m., Woodlawn Fire 2217 Belmont Allentown, sponsored by auxiliary. Tickets, Showers Stationary Occluded Teen Disco Night by Rhythm and Color, 8-11 p.m.. Coopersburg Borough Hall, Main S2. Hi Amsterdam 61 45 Athens 84 64 Hong Kong 79 77 Hi Lisbon 66 54 Anchorage 36 London 57 46 Atlanta 76 Madrid 72 48 Baltimore 75 Manila 86 77 Boston 62 Mexico City 77 54 Chicago 56 Moscow 73 55 Denver 78 Paris 59 48 Detroit 59 Rome 82 48 Honolulu 87 San Juan 86 I 75 Houston 82 N.J. SHORE Periods of rain and a chance of thunderstorms today and tonight.

High near 60. Low tonight around 50. Considerable cloudiness and cool tomorrow with a high near 63. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent today and 70 percent tonight. Winds south to southwest at 15-30 m.p.h.

Ocean temperature is near 60. Los Angeles 75 60 41 Miami Beach 87 80 57 Minneapolis-St. Paul 69 46 61 New York 65 60 54 Philadelphia 76 62 41 Phoenix 99 72 50 Pittsburgh 59 46 42 St. Petersburg-Tampa 84 68 68 San Francisco 66 54 59 Washington. C.

78 66 See KIDS Page D4 Compiled by Judy Watcher. Corinne Hilbert, Rosemary Jones.