The opening of the Daca Daguao 4D Academy:

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Daca Daguao 4D academy opening brings home education, traditional fine arts and modern digital arts

I started in 2007 as an elementary school art teacher. I finished in 2023, in Oregon, at a high school. In between, I was an adjunct instructor at Washington State University (2016-2017). All in all, over a decade of seeing the visual arts treated as a minor adjunct in educational systems that prioritize other things.

That experience taught me what I don't want to do. And also what I do.

Homeschooling: a belief I will put into practice

I have never been a teacher of homeschoolers. But I have done a lot of research on the subject. I've read about their needs. And I firmly believe that homeschooling, supplemented with sports, arts and cultural activities in the afternoons, is one of the best ways to form well-rounded people.

That's why, in this academy, I will design materials specifically for homeschool families. And I will do so following the standards of the National Association of Art Educators (NAE), so that parents can submit valid credits to the U.S. Department of Education without worry.

A shelter for displaced artists... and future employees

Not everyone who will come to the academy is a young person or a parent. I will also create learning paths for displaced artists - people who lost their place in the creative industry or never found one.

The goal is clear: for the most outstanding students to find employment at Daca Daguao Digital Design, my animation studio. The academy will train. The studio will hire. That's the circle I'm building.

Traditional visual arts and modern digital arts: a bridge over the border

We live in a time where returning or staying in the artistic field is difficult. There are many frontiers: economic, technological, generational. That is why I speak of a bridge over the border. I don't separate the traditional from the digital. A student can start with pencil and charcoal, and then migrate to a tablet.

And beware: the software is not professional. The artist is. I will teach both free (open source) and proprietary tools. The difference is one: access. Not quality.

What I'm designing right now

Today I have one course completed: Fundamentals of Art, which we launch on June 1, 2026. And I am actively working on six intermediate courses:

• Pencil Drawing
• Charcoal Drawing
• Pastel Drawing
• Watercolor Painting
• Oil Painting
• Acrylic Painting

Each will follow NAE standards, with personalized feedback and flexible modalities: asynchronous, synchronous or face-to-face one-on-one.

A human detail: write this calmly

Life takes many turns. There were losses, falls, projects that didn't work out. But there was also a decision: adapt or be left behind. I chose to adapt.

Today I am writing this from the Philippines. Not from a beach with coffee. But from a place where I can have this kind of calm more often. The pace here is different. And I like the idea of a big adventure: maybe moving. I haven't decided, but I'm thinking about it.

And she, Tan-Vargas, is by my side. She will be the queen who inherits my fruit. And who knows... maybe someday there will be little ones who will inherit the fruit along with her. I only say that to leave a seed of curiosity.

The important thing is that today I can write this with calm. Because after the storms, one values peace.

Your next artistic adventure starts here

I want to invite you to sign up. It doesn't matter if you are a young person looking for your path, an adult who wants to take up art again, a homeschool family in need of reliable materials, or a displaced artist looking to reinvent yourself.

There's a place for you here. And who knows: maybe you'll be one of those new colleagues I'll hire for a studio project someday.

👉 S ign up here: https://dacadaguao4d.academy/cuenta-de-membresia/niveles-de-membresia/
🎬 Meanwhile, the film Traces Retraced is still in production → traces-retraced.film
🏢 And the studio is still moving → dacadaguao4d.com