Imagination Texas
Special Weekend Celebrating Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Imagination Texas
Friday, Apr 6, 2018, 11:45 AM
300 Trinity Campus Circle, Fort Worth, TX, United States
Imaginotes 2018
Necessary Forms
- Community & Industry Education Insurance Form - must be filled out by every student and adult visiting the TCC campus during the weekend.
- Imagination Texas Medical release form - must be filled out for each student.
- Imagination Texas Media release form - must be filled out for each student.
- Parking permit- for all vehicles parking at TCC. This must be in your window at all times while on campus.
Optional
- Pizza order form - only if you plan to order pizza. It will be available after the dance Friday night. Drinks will also be sold for $1.
For your information/use
- Permission form- if you do not have one of your own filled out by now.
- Expectations while attending the I.T. weekend.
More Featured Artists and Performers
Tamara Copeland-Samaripa
Tamara Copeland-Samaripa was born hard of hearing and gradually lost most of her hearing. She became completely deaf during her high school years. Tamara grew up oral and did not learn sign language until she was a sophomore in HS. She admits she went off to college to learn more about Deaf Culture and her identity as a Deaf person. Her early aspiration was to become a pediatrician. That led her to choose Boston University rather than Gallaudet University. However, when she learned about the shortage of services available to Deaf children, she realized that teaching was her calling.
Tamara is married to professional photographer, Michael Samaripa. They have two beautiful children, Halle and Lorenzo. Her hobbies include anything technology, and she loves to read and talk about books.
Tamara will be presenting our art and technology workshop.
Jennifer Bennett
Jennifer Bennett will be presenting our Media for Teacher workshop. At the age of 18, she moved to Fort Worth to attend TCU. Being far from home and afraid of being overwhelmed, her mother suggested she take an easy "A" class. "You've always been interested in sign language, why not take that?" Her mother asked. Jennifer admits that it was not as easy as she expected it to be, but it changed her life. In the more than 20 years since, she has earned a degree in Deaf Education from TCU, studied and worked as an interpreter at Tarrant County College, taught 6 years at a school for the Deaf, and earned 3 teaching certificates for Deaf Ed, ASL and Grade 4-8 Math and Science. She continues to work as a certified interpreter and teach in the Interpreter Training Program at TCC. She currently enjoys teaching at Richland High School sharing her love of ASL and Deaf culture with her students.
Sue Brunner
Ms. Brunner holds a B.A. in Art Education and an M.A. in Special Education from Louisiana Tech University. She has been teaching since 1978 in Missouri and Louisiana before moving to Texas in 1982. She has taught in districts all over North Texas including Lewisville, Grapevine/Colleyville, Coppell, and Aledo. She is currently teaching art at Brock Independent School District. This is her first year at Imagination Texas. Sherry Ward, a retired art teacher will be co-teaching a mask-making workshop with Ms. Brunner. You may remember Ms. Brunner from last year; she assisted Justin LeBlanc in his fashion workshop. Welcome back!
Janet Morrow
Janet Morrow creates art that is conceptual in nature, utilizing whatever medium, or combination of media, is most appropriate to communicate the idea or insight. Some of her work examines themes of deafness, disability and otherness and what it means to occupy a non-normative body in a culture where normality is narrowly defined.
Morrow holds a BFA in theatre from SMU and an MFA in Intermedia Studio from the University of Texas at Arlington. Her work has been exhibited at Surface Gallery in Nottingham, England, Access Gallery in Austin, The Smithsonian International Gallery in Washington, D.C., Circle Gallery at The Maryland Foundation of Art in Annapolis, Maryland, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, The Long Beach Island Foundation in Loveladies, New Jersey, Altered Esthetics Gallery in Minneapolis and many other venues. She serves as a Lecturer at The University of Texas at Arlington and Tarrant County College Northeast Campus.
Ms. Morrow has been to Imagination Texas several times and we have enjoyed her hands-on projects.
Johnny Villarreal
An Art Studio graduate of Texas State, Johnny is a collaborator, visual artist, technologist, designer, and educator. He struggled to find a solid connection to his education until he switched his focus to art. Since then he has been exploring how creativity is connected to learning. His multimedia background combined with his vast community art education experience has enabled him to creatively empower people of various interest and abilities. Whether he’s painting, doodling, editing, designing, guiding, or working on the social fabric, Johnny is happiest when those around him are doing what they do best.
Johnny has an amazing and loving wife, an excitable Chihuahua, a big, sweet, white cat with sharp, sharp claws, and three chickens. His favorite shape is the octagon, he loves gesture drawing, and he doesn’t believe in coincidences.
This will make his third appearance at Imagination Texas.
Imagination Texas Planning Committee
Lauri Bevan - Executive Director
Rachel Parnell - Production Manager
Cynthia Andrews - Curriculum Specialist
Dianne Fisher - Co-founder and Chair
DiAnne Allison - Program Supervisor, Denton RDSPD, Retired
Angela Belding - Program Coordinator, Brazos River RDSPD
Rhunell Burris - BEI Certified Level 1 Interpreter
Kristal Bullock - Administrative Assistant, Brazos River RDSPD
Holly Cates - Teacher of the Deaf, Irving ISD
Regina Davis - Sign Language Instructor, Tarrant County College
Anne Darr - Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, ESC Region 11
Teresa Gonzalez - Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Texas Christian University
Heather Hughes - Deaf Action Center
Darenda Kirby - Assistant Director for AI/VI Services, Fort Worth ISD
Sammie Sheppard - Coordinator for Sign Language Interpreting Program, Tarrant County College
Sonya Stephens - Teacher of the Deaf and Interpreter Coordinator, Fort Worth ISD
Susie Tiggs - State Lead for Deaf Services, ESC Region 11
Brenda Wellen - Teacher of the Deaf, San Angelo ISD/RDSPD