Welcome to the Daca Daguao Art Academy.
Notice!
The academy is already open.
As of June 1, 2026, the first course—Fundamentals of Art —is available. Designed for all ages, this course supports both adults and students from public and private school systems, adhering to the standards of the National Art Education Association (USA).
The academy operates on Oregon time and is already welcoming its first students. Schedules are designed to facilitate access from various regions, including the United States and the Caribbean.
All links are now active, and the information has been fully updated. Memberships can be purchased via the official website.
Thank you for your patience during the preparation phase. Welcome to the academy.
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The most recent course
Courses
A list of available courses. We are constantly working on new courses. Stay tuned.
Instructor and Director
My name is Gerardo Vargas, and this is my experience in the fields of commercial and fine art.
Classes
I design classes in seven formats: 1. Individual asynchronous (no assistance). 2. Individual asynchronous (with instructor assistance). 3. Group asynchronous (with assistance from other students). 5. Group asynchronous (with assistance from the instructor and other students). 6. Scheduled group synchronous (with the instructor and other students). 7. Face-to-face (individual student-instructor interaction).
Events
We will eventually hold in-person exhibitions, but we are starting with digital versions. Here, we will announce all kinds of events, including competitions both inside and outside the academy.
Programs
The academy begins with intermediate and advanced art courses. Later, I will introduce basic and beginner courses—foundation courses for colleges, institutes, and universities.
Teaching
Education and training at the Academy are based on practice and research. Theory is incorporated as students create projects under the guidance of instructors, allowing them to forge a more useful connection between theoretical knowledge and practice.
History of Daca Daguao
Daca Daguao Digital Design, LLC is a design studio specializing in animation and 3D commercial arts. I am building this academy to train the next generation of artists—future colleagues and current "partners in crime" in the arts.
I also want to offer the homeschooling community an alternative visual arts education. Art is as diverse as the artists who make up the art community; students are just as varied, and there is something here for everyone. Come take a look.
Schedule for one-on-one and scheduled group courses
M-F: 9am - 4:30pm Pacific Time
Mailing Address
2355 State St Ste 101,
Salem, Marion County, OR 97301 US
profesor.daguao@dacadaguao4d.academy
Telegram
Signal
Upcoming Events
Inauguration of the Academy
The academy is already open.
We are embarking on the adventure of the visual arts. Today, June 1, 2026, the doors are open. Welcome!
The tools we will use
What do you need to take our programs?
These courses can be taken using an iPad, an Android tablet, or a Windows Surface. iPads cannot run Krita or other open-source programs, though proprietary alternatives are available in the Apple App Store. Android tablets and Surface devices, however, can run open-source applications. One option is to use an iPad alongside a MacBook, utilizing the iPad like a Cintiq—drawing on the iPad screen while the Mac runs the open-source software. You can do the same using a Microsoft Surface and a Windows PC.
Remote and Virtual Learning – Questions and Answers
Why did I start this academy?
For nine years, I worked as a visual arts teacher in various public schools and at a university. I realized that the country's educational systems view the visual arts classroom as a convenient place to send students who do not want to be in school. This always bothered me because those students had already given up on trying to improve, and they drained the energy I had for the students who actually wanted to study and learn—thereby depriving the latter of opportunities for growth. That is why I left public and private teaching behind; I am now dedicating my energy to students who want to learn and develop their critical thinking skills.
Who benefits the most from this system?
It is for students who need a safe space to express themselves—or privacy not provided by traditional schools—and who benefit from more direct interaction with the instructor.
It also assists parents of students who are homeschooled rather than attending traditional schools, as I will follow the objective frameworks used by the National Art Education Association (NAEA) in the United States. Eventually, I will include objectives from other countries as well.
Will there be traditional courses using materials such as paper, pencils, and brushes, among others?
That is correct. I am already planning a set of foundational courses for traditional materials. I will start with drawing and proceed to cover all media at the beginner level. I will introduce methods for transitioning to digital once students reach the intermediate level.
Will there be instruction on how to use the tablets individually?
Although it is necessary to learn these tools thoroughly in order to master them, we will not spend much time on the details of each specific digital tool, as they change rapidly. We will cover only the basics of each one and then delve into the digital programs compatible with various devices, such as iPad, Android, Windows, and Mac.
If you have further questions:
Use the inquiry form, and I will reply as soon as possible. Thank you for visiting the academy. I hope you find something you would like to learn or master in the world of art.
Journal Publications
Online Arts Education: The Daca Daguao Academy of Arts
16 August, 2026
Online arts education is changing. It’s no longer just about random tutorials on YouTube or unstructured activities. The Daca Daguao Academy of Arts was founded on June 1, 2026, with a clear purpose: to offer artistic training with academic rigor, recognized standards, and a global perspective. I am not a corporation. I am an educator […]
The opening of the Daca Daguao 4D Academy:
31 May, 2026
Prior to my research on educational environment Daca Daguao 4D academy opening brings home education, traditional fine arts and modern digital arts Following my research on educational environment The opening of the Daca Daguao 4D Academy is not a point of arrival. It is a turning point. A decision to turn more than a decade […]
From the street to the Philippines: 3 years later my online art academy is reborn
10 May, 2026
Today is May 10, 2026. I am writing this on vacation from the Philippines, while finalizing the details of my online art academy. I sit at a small table in front of the sea, while my partner prepares coffee. It seems like a dream. And it is. But getting here took me eight years of […]