Tamara Cooper

I have been designing and constructing costumes since high school.  I've worked on projects in New York, Houston, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and all over the Bay Area in Northern California. I spent 10 years teaching, designing, and constructing costumes at Ohlone College in Fremont, California and the past 6 summers heading the costume shop at Santa Cruz Shakespeare.  I am particularly interested in the ways clothing creates a language for communication and identity. I am also fascinated by historical clothing--techniques for creating garments, textiles, the folds and drapes of different fabrics, and how clothing affected and was affected by the social, political, and artistic environment of different eras.

On a personal note, I love spending time with dogs and cats, reading, playing board games, and enjoying the company of my friends.