Photo Credit: Jennifer Alejos

On Friday afternoons, in the Arts Building on the Main Campus, a close-knit group of students discuss their favorite hobby – printmaking.

The Bon A Tirer, or B.A.T. Printmaking Club, is a new organization on campus dedicated to the art of printmaking — a specialized craft where an image is replicated onto a different medium with ink using techniques such as silkscreen or woodcut prints.

Printmaking has been a popular art form in modern culture and has been traced to prehistoric times. Today, the art form is still widely practiced in major cities. Some contemporary artists — such as U.K. street artist Banksy — have gained worldwide fame. The popular street artist was the subject of the 2010 documentary “Exit Through The Gift Shop.”

Bon A Tirer, coming from the French phrase “Fit to print,” gives students of all majors the opportunity to explore this art form and participate in activities on and off campus.

This semester, the club plans to have construction projects, charity events, participate in Best Fest and enter local and national art shows. Members will also be able to sell their artwork while enriching the art community.

Senior fine arts major Madison Cowles says, “We wanted to spread our love of printmaking. A lot of people, even if they’re art majors, don’t know what printmaking is until they get into the basic printmaking class.”

For others, the organization is seen as a good introduction for anyone interested in printmaking but may not be an art major.

Junior kinesiology major Bryan Gonzalez says, “It seemed like a great opportunity since it’s a different art form. I wanted to see what it’s all about.”

The B.A.T. Club was inspired by an idea Professor Juan de Dios Mora had when talking to senior Alan Serna about the types of organizations offered on campus.

Serna, who is the president of the club, says, “Juan kind of had this idea for it; there’s always a lot of controversy about printmaking being a dead art form.”

Members felt that UTSA was lacking a club that specializes in one art technique while other organizations, such as the Fine Arts Association (FAA), are generally broad.

Serna says, “Our goal is to bring printmakers together and people who want to know how to print make together and have a community, but at the same time it’s open for other artists.”

Meetings are held in the Printmaking Studio (2.01.12) in the Arts Building at the main campus. Times and dates are posted on the B.A.T. Facebook page. The club is open to everyone, and membership dues are $5.

For more information on the B.A.T Printmaking Club visit their Facebook page or find them on Instagram and Twitter at @batprintclub.