Students at Imaginarium. Photo by Rebecca Sanabria.
Lakewood art school Imaginarium is moving into a space on East Mockingbird Lane.
The school founded by neighbor Brandye James has been based out of Skillman Church of Christ for the past few years, but it outgrew the space.
Imaginarium’s new home is under construction but will be ready for summer camps in July.
With more room, Imaginarium can offer family art classes, where kids and parents can create together, along with monthly classes just for adults.
It will also accommodate new additions to the curriculum, including courses on cartoons and graphic design, fashion design and sewing, game design and esports, and architecture and interior design.
“We are moving into a lot more project learning,” James said.
Imaginarium’s teachers specialize in different fields. For example, the person leading the cartoons and graphic design course is a graphic design teacher at Skyline High School and a former elementary art teacher.
Owning Imaginarium is James’ fourth major career endeavor. For 15 years, she worked in Hollywood, leaving as a production executive. Then she came to Dallas and started a design company, B. James Interiors, which she owned for a decade. And then she decided to become a Dallas ISD teacher, working for five years in art and the Gifted and Talented programs.
But she has always been interested in art.
“As a kid, I was always drawing, painting, doing photography, doing theater,” James said. “Anything I could do that was creative, I was in involved in as a kid.”
Photo by Rebecca Sanabria.
James, who has a degree in film from Southern Methodist University, was asked by neighborhood parents at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic if she would run some art classes for elementary-school kids. She would drop off art supplies on families’ porches and lead classes on Zoom.
When things started to open up, parents started asking James about art lessons, so she began renting classroom space at Skillman Church of Christ to host after-school classes. They learned about art history, art appreciation, cultures and artists, and were able to try out mediums such as acrylic paint, clay, pastels and chalk.
Since James started offering classes, the number of students who participate has grown to nearly 60.
There are no spots available for summer camps, but registration is open for classes, which run Aug. 14-May 24.
“I think it’s going to be a great addition to the neighborhood,” James said. “As a mom myself, I’m always looking for ways to help my kids learn and grow.”
Imaginarium’s new location is 6500 E. Mockingbird Lane.Â
