WELCOME TO BATS!

As Director of the BATS program, I welcome you to our web site and program.

We have exciting new programs to offer students this coming year and we would love you to become a part of this growing program.

FACEBOOK Page
As you notice, we have created a BATS Facebook page where we will post happenings, offer discussion topics, be there for questions and comments. If you are on Facebook, join our group and stay connected! If you aren't a Facebook member, now's a great time to join!

September 2010 News from the Director
It has been a very fast summer, and along with the school buses seen around town, we have already noticed that our weather is cooling quite a bit. But we are just warming up as we replenish all the schools with fun art supplies and ideas for another exciting BATS art year! We want to thank all of our grantors and donors for their help in keeping the BATS program active by supporting the purchase of art suppiles and field trips to the Lake Tahoe Community College Haldan Gallery.

We have more photos from art classes that we will be posting. We also have a few photo montages to frame from the photos the children experimented with at the Haldan Gallery Field Trip classes last spring. We will post those as well.

FREE Art Lessons for all Volunteers and New Volunteers Beginning September 20!
We have lots of FREE Art Class Lessons for Volunteers this year, starting September 20, 2010. Gina Stowell will be teaching volunteers various art ideas and how to teach in the classroom using our programs. Join the fun and take home a project. Yummy snacks and childcare is provided. Click to view the Schedule. We offer day and evening classes. Sign up with Joy Rogers: 530-573-1657, or email her at: billjoytahoe@sbcglobal.net

This is a perfect time to sign up as a volunteer, so if you would like to teach art, or if you aren't sure and would like to find out more, we warmly invite you to one of our Volunteer Art Classes!

June 2010 News from the Director

Click to read our June BATS Article: BATS Tales: End of the Year "Guano"
And see a few more photos!

Photos from the very successful 2010 LTCC Haldan Art Gallery Field Trips
As you may have read, BATS is affording the opportunity for 700 school children to visit the LTCC Haldan Gallery this year. Additionally, Phyllis Shafer, Director Art Department at LTCC, is supporting the purchase of supplies and personnel help for the art project, which is part of the children's experience at the Gallery. Thank you, Phyllis! Here are the first of the photos to come in from the Gallery tour!

And the Children really enjoyed making Sun Prints!

Photos from the LTUSD Open House May 27, including BATS Art Show!
The Student Art Show at each of the schools was a big success! Lots of art and lots of parents at the shows. Here are a few photos from Bijou Elementary School. Enjoy!

May 2010 News from the Director

Annual Haldan Gallery Field Trips: May 10 through June 17
May 2010 begins our annual field trips to the Haldan Gallery, Lake Tahoe Community College. There is a fantastic show up this year, and I have arranged field trips and art projects for more than 700 elementary students this year with the help of Phyllis Shafer, Director, Art Department, and our grantors, who make this monitarily possible. This is the first year we are fully booked.

Additionally, we were fortunate enough to receive a grant to purchase cameras for our students to use during these field trips. If you haven't seen the newest Haldan show, stop by. We will post photos soon!

LTUSD Open House May 27, including BATS Art Show!
Whether you have children attending the elementary schools, or not, you will want to stop by at least one of the elementary schools this year for their end-of-the-year Open House, scheduled May 27, 4pm - 7pm. Artwork from the 600 BATS art classes, during this past academic year, will be showing in the multipurpose rooms at each of the schools. Thanks to all of our grantors, as of last year, we now have official art grids on which to professionally display all the artwork.

Art Quilt to Show at the El Dorado Library
Below is a photo of a quilt from a fabric painting class I taught in Mrs. Carter's Kindergarten class. With white fabric, fabric markers and an art subject matter of Shapes, these children really expressed themselves well.

This quilt is a great example of the exciting talent that our students have and how much they love their art classes. This quilt will be on display at the El Dorado Library over the next few weeks, where field trips have been scheduled to explore the library and see their art.

We will present this quilt as a gift to Mrs. Carter, as she will retire next year. She has always been such a big supporter of the BATS program. Thank you, Mrs. Carter!

April 2010 News from the Director
Kit Knight, our newest Art Instructor, along with Dixie Murnane, really caught the children's attention this month with the topic of healthy fruit drinks, such as kiwi strawberry, blueberry, orange and lemon. As you can see by the examples below, the kids really went for this lesson!

March 2010 News from the Director
If you have been noticing more BATS showing up around Tahoe, it has to be the BATS program and the support of more than 100 volunteers.

In just two months, we have displayed artwork from three schools at the El Dorado County Library, and these children love the attention. This program will continue throughout the school year, so stop by today and experience their creativity.
Click to read more.

Photos of very talented artists in Ann Thennes's Collage Art Class
at Bijou Elementary!

Bijou Art Board Displays - March 2010

February 2010 News from the Director
With our increased numbers of volunteers and our new volunteer
training, BATS is taking flight! Click to read more..

Art classes for volunteers, led by Gina Stowell

January 2010 News from the Director
The BATS program began the 2009/2010 school year with new art supplies for each school, and new volunteers eager to bring art into each classroom. The majority of volunteers are parents who have little or no art background. Our goal is to offer much needed support for these parents. Click to read more..

New and Prospective Volunteers
We have information on our program and what is involved as a volunteer. Click for our program description.

Go to our Program page for more information on our program. Thank you for your interest in giving children the gift of art and expression!

Stop by the Courthouse today to see the BATS wall hangings--they are big, colorful and a great example of the creativity expressed by Tahoe's children!
Go to Silk Article posted on the News Page!

Here are a few samples:

We bring art to the schools in South Lake Tahoe!

The BATS Program is an art appreciation and art history program, offered to all 1800 students in the five Lake Tahoe Unified School District Elementary Schools, K - 5th grade levels.

This important visual arts program presents a unique opportunity for elementary students to become more informed about classic works of art, their meanings, and the styles and movements that inspired them.

As required by California’s State Standards for Arts Education, the BATS Program teaches artistic perception, creative expression, the historical and cultural context of the arts and the ability to make judgments about art that will develop the critical thinking skills needed in a high-tech economy.

If you would like to volunteer, click for details

If you would like to donate to our program, please contact
Joy Rogers, Director, BATS Program 530-573-1657.

Joy Rogers, Director

The BATS program is under the auspices of the
Tahoe Art League
Please click to visit their site:
TALart.org
to find out more about
Tahoe's best art and artists'
resources, classes, shows
and events.

Click to view Haldan
Gallery Field Trip Photos
from 2009

Donations

Our program relies on
grants and donations.
If you would like to donate
to our program, please contact Joy Rogers
today!

Thank you!

How would you
define "Art"?

Here is a thought-
provoking description:

What is Art?