Aretha Laverne is a contemporary mixed media artist living in Grande Prairie who utilizes various paint and/or ink mediums to display and assemble narratives that have been traditionally considered folk art. Aretha's practice is centered around the creation and sharing of images for storytelling to contribute to the cultural fabric of the art world. She is a first-generation Canadian born to Jamaican parents. Aretha was raised by a single mother, consequently making the proverb "It takes a village," a large part of her childhood development. Today, those experiences are embodied in her artwork, which has always been an expression of the communities in which she resides.