History of the Central Bucks AGTS Chapter

The Central Bucks Art Goes to School (CBAGTS) Chapter began in 1975 because an art teacher at Butler Elementary had learned about the organization in another district and wanted to see it active in Central Bucks. Recruitment of twenty-two interested community members resulted in the successful establishment of the group in April 1975. Rachel Silver, chair, and Jeanne Smith, co-chair, began a series of workshops held in members’ homes in September 1975. In addition to the workshops, the group researched and presented both oral and written reports of the art reproductions that they had been given, attended lectures at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and viewed classroom demonstrations in The Lower Moreland and North Penn school districts. Disappointment was in store for some of the members when only four of the twelve Central Bucks elementary school principals signed up for the program; however, this soon disappeared after the first visits to Kutz and Buckingham Elementary Schools. The principals at those schools were so enthusiastic about the classroom visits and AGTS that every other principal requested that their schools be included. New Hope-Solebury (NH-S) was added to the list because a fourth grade student at Doyle told his mom, the art teacher at NH-S that the program was great, and she should ask to have her school included.
Today CBAGTS visits every CB public elementary school, ,three parochial schools, Plumstead Christian, Buckingham Friends, and New Hope-Solebury Elementary and reaches over 10,000 children each year.

Currently CBAGTS has thirty-five volunteers, consisting of one founding, several veterans, and many others at various levels of experience. CBAGTS is always looking for new volunteers because some members need to leave to reenter the work force, obtain more education or move away.
Click here to see photos of CBAGTS members at work in the classroom.