Aretha’s Art Calls from the Depths

Aretha Rodney-McDonald is thrilled to have gotten to be a part of the 2025 cohort of Arts Fellowship Orlando, thanks to you! She says, “I’ve never been a part of something like this, so this is life-changing for me. I prayed for this type of blessing and to see that I’m walking it out because of the generosity of the Heart of the City Foundation, I’m beyond grateful and I pray that the Lord continue to bless them in abundance, that they’ll continue to pour into the arts. Because, if I feel this way, I know there’s a community of artists who are Christians who’ll be impacted to know that there are still people who believe in the arts in the church.”

Aretha Rodney-McDonald has always been immersed in the arts—as a dancer, as a singer, as a musician, as an actress, as a spoken word poet. But for a long time, she felt displaced as a Christian artist, without a creative community who really “got” her and her work. When she was accepted into the 2025 cohort of Arts Fellowship Orlando (AFO), she felt like it was—quite literally—a Godsend. Now because of your generosity, she is flourishing more than ever, feeling inspired and empowered to share the stories God has called her to share through her art. 

Ever since Aretha was little, she has been romanced and comforted by God through the arts. “I wrote my first song in Jamaica. I remember it like it was yesterday,” she explains, “I was in my backyard, and I was just writing. I was just writing, because where I lived in Jamaica, it wasn’t the most peaceful place. And I remember there was a lot happening at the time, and, oh, my God, just thinking about it now, I was either seven or eight, and my song was ‘Dear Lord, I’m asking you a favor to guide everyone.’”

“I talk about being a church baby a lot,” says Aretha, “Growing up in the church, I was on the dance team, I was in the choir. If there was a skit or show that they were putting together for the school, I was in it. And because of how dramatic I was, I would get one of the main parts because I love being dramatic.”

Aretha grew up in Jamaica, and she loved going to church. At church, she had the chance to engage in all sorts of artistic expression—concerts, outdoor events, plays, and, of course, Sunday worship services. She fell in love with the arts. She says, “It was just the nature of things, so it was the norm for me.” When she moved to New Jersey at the age of ten, her family went to a church affiliated with their church in Jamaica, so her church experience still brimmed with art. 

Fast forward to many years later, Aretha started her life in Orlando, still surrounded by the arts but in more diverse circles, with many people who weren’t religious, much less Christian. As you may know, Orlando—especially downtown Orlando—is full of artistic opportunity and expression. Every week, you can drop in on an open mic somewhere or attend a performance elsewhere. 

But she didn’t feel fully seen or fulfilled in these artistic communities. She loves to create art about life, love, Black history, and most importantly, her faith. She craved a creative community that truly understood her as a Christian artist. 

When Aretha learned about AFO—a six-month arts residency made possible by you—she applied without hesitation. “Not only do they feed you artistically,” she says, “but they also feed you spiritually. That’s a win, that’s a win. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of such a community?”

Throughout the last six months, she and the other five fellows in her cohort have learned deeply about the intersection between art and faith. One of the lessons that most significantly altered the way Aretha approaches her art was about the Trinity translated into art. There are three parts that interweave within a piece of art: the Godhead, the self, and the world. When one is missing, the art loses some of its power. 

Aretha shares, “That struck something for me so much because I feel like for a very long time with creating, I would miss one. I would miss the world part of it. What does my world look like during this time? What are the things happening in the world? Because maybe people cannot relate to what I went through, and maybe there’s people who feel like God hasn’t been in it, but maybe how I view the world and what was happening in the world, that can catch their attention.” 

On June 8, 2025, Aretha and the other fellows will present original works—the culmination of all their learning, inspiration, and conviction—at AFO’s finale showcase: Deep Calls to Deep. 

Aretha says, “We have the presence of God in AFO. It’s beautiful just how much He appreciates the art. Being in this community, I get to see His presence on it so much more. And it’s just like, ‘Wow, God, you really do love the arts.’”

“Oh my goodness, I’ll tell you, I knew the program was going to stretch me. I knew that, right—I just didn’t know how much of a stretch it was going to be,” Aretha says, “My entire project was not my first choice, if I’m being honest. I wanted to go in a little safe. And God was like, ‘Absolutely not. You’re going to get vulnerable. You’re going to tell your story and you’re going to leave it there, so that somebody can be healed through it.’

“Back in 2020, I almost lost my life after giving birth to my daughter and I just knew, I knew if the Lord decided that that was my last—I knew hands-down—I was not making it to heaven because of the life that I lived—one foot in, one foot out. I was in church but still absent because, mentally, I was far. This project will take the audience on the journey to me on that hospital room floor, asking the Lord for another chance to make it right with Him.”

Artists hold a special space in our society and church community. They illuminate what was misty; they make crisp and clear what was muddy; they show us to an open window when we can’t find a door. Each has a message they were designed to share with the rest of us, and AFO serves the church by elevating their voices. 

Aretha says, “I want when people hear what He has placed on my heart for them to say, if they don’t know the Lord, ‘I gotta get to know this guy, I gotta get to know this Savior, I want to get to know Him.’ And then if they do know the Lord, it sparks something in them: What has been lying dormant?

“I believe all of us have a calling, but because of what life may offer, we might let our callings stay dormant for a very long time. I want them to know there’s something within them that the Lord can use, and ultimately, we don’t have to settle for just what life offers. There is something inside all of us.”

If you would like to learn more about Deep Calls to Deep and get tickets, please go to https://www.drphillipscenter.org/events/tickets/2025/deep-calls-to-deep/. You don’t want to miss this ever-spectacular showcase of incredible Christian talent! To keep up with Aretha and her art, you can follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/aretharodneyartistry/ and check out her website at https://www.aretharodneyartistry.com/.