Native San Diegan printer and painter
Dara Vasko (b. Dara Cook 1994 - ) grew up with an affinity for art. She started with drawing her house and its contents from an aerial point of view and loved to sculpt with polymer clay. In high school she took art classes, where she discovered her love for painting and drawing. She did not decide to pursue an art career until attending MiraCosta College, where she took a sculpture class and realized she wanted to study art with rigor. It should also be noted that her interest in gallery and museum studies got its start when she became president of the art club and was in charge of the BlueGate Gallery, a student run gallery on the Oceanside campus. She later used those skills to be an Art Preparator at the Natalie and James Thompson Museum in San Jose.
Vasko graduated from San Jose State University where she earned a BFA in Pictorial Art. She currently resides in Northern San Diego county, where she is building her home studio with the help of her lucky black cat and studio assistant, Gaston. She currently works as an Instructional Assistant for 2-D Art at MiraCosta College.