By Makenzie Atkins
Dakin Pascuqui, a former art teacher at Rodgers Middle School, is selling her own artwork at a local coffee shop to support her family after having to quit her job because of her health.
In February of 2021, Pascuqui had to quit her job after being diagnosed with stage three anaplastic astrocytoma in the left temporal lobe. In May, she had brain surgery, leaving her with poor vision and months of radiation ahead of her. With two children, Pascuqui had to find some way to financially support her family.
A friend of hers, who is the owner of a family-run coffee shop in Tampa, asked Pascuqui how she could help. Pascuqui’s first thought was for customers to be able to buy her art off the walls at 22nd Street Coffee, and that’s just what they did.
She now has 15 pieces hanging in the cafe, all available for purchase. Not only can you buy her art there, but she can also paint custom pieces for anyone who requests one. Her art styles range from pop art to Fauvism, and all include at least a little stroke of red. To make it more budget-friendly, she paints on used canvases by first painting a coat of white paint to clear the surface and then creating her work on top.
“I’ve always been a hustler, mover and shaker,” said Pascuqui, “so when I had to give up teaching, I had to find something to keep me busy, and painting has always been my escape.”
Following after her father, who was also an artist, Pascuqui went to art school in Buffalo, New York. After many different career attempts, she decided to move to Florida to become a teacher. First, Pascuqui was a P.E. teacher, but when the opportunity arose to switch to art, she jumped at it. Teaching children something like art, which is a passion for her, was something she loved and truly misses.
Inspired by artists like Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Matisse and other artists from the 1960s and 1970s, she studies their styles and then creates her own work. Pascuqui mainly creates oil paintings and enjoys painting things like people, actors and buildings. You can support Pascuqui and her family by finding her work in Tampa or connecting with her to purchase a custom piece.
For more information, contact Pascuqui at 494-3144 or visit https://22ndstreetcoffee.com/ to find her artwork.
