Aitina’s Story
Aitina Fareed-Cooke was told at a young age that she would be a "failure to thrive" as a result of her biological mother's substance use disorder. As a result, she and her two older siblings were placed into the foster care system and due to effects of addiction, their mother passed away. Aitina refused to be defined by labels of “emotionally handicapped” and “failure to thrive”. Instead, she found solace and empowerment through her faith in God and her voice within the creative arts, rewriting her own narrative. Her unwavering commitment to her family and community became a testament to her resilience and determination.
Aitina’s journey into the creative arts began in childhood, where writing and digital media arts became her outlets amidst a challenging upbringing in the foster care system. These early art experiences ignited her path to success, leading her to educate the next generation on the power of the creative arts. Her work with emerging artists has led many to income earning opportunities, exhibitions, and creative entrepreneurship opportunities. Her musical career has led her to executively produce four full-length albums and collaborations with Grammy award-winning artists, resulting in an impressive collective stream count of over 2 million through distribution services.
Aitina Fareed-Cooke currently serves as the Creative Arts Strategist, Buffalo’s Poet Laureate, National Recording Artist, and the founder of Get Fokus'd Productions (GFP), an internationally award winning media arts production company. For nearly two decades, Aitina has secured multiple grants to support diverse creative arts projects, fostering collaboration among community organizations, businesses, educators, and emerging artists. Over the last few years, her innovative strategies have enabled GFP to generate nearly $500,000 through various funding sources, with close to 30% directed towards supporting hundreds of young, emerging, and professional artists.
Aitina leverages her platform as a multi-faceted creative—encompassing roles like national recording artist, speaker, educator, and digital storyteller—to connect with a broad network of artists, organizations, and businesses. This network provides revenue-generating opportunities for artists, facilitating their involvement in the creative economy while also making impact through creative community-based initiatives.
With a BA in English and an MS in Education from Buffalo State University, Aitina has used her expertise in creative and digital arts to develop numerous educational programs, performances, and apprenticeships over the past decade for over 20,000 young, emerging artists and entrepreneurs. Her work uniquely integrates visual, performative, narrative, and musical arts, sharing her transformative journey from foster care to freedom through the creative arts, nationwide.
Aitina also dedicates her time serving on the boards of CEPA Gallery and her alma mater, Buffalo State University. At CEPA Gallery, she supports efforts to strengthen their marketing and education department, fostering growth, development and income opportunities for their Photography Works program participants. At Buffalo State University, she advocates for students and has contributed to the development and sustainability of the GRIT Scholarship, which is a merit-based scholarship for Buffalo State students, not based on GPA but based on a student's demonstrated GRIT. This scholarship alleviates financial burdens for students as they complete their education. Through these roles, Aitina continues to champion educational advancement and support for aspiring artists and scholars.
Recognized for her contributions, Aitina has secured funding from organizations like Creatives Rebuild New York and the New York State Council on the Arts. Her creative work has been exhibited and presented in prestigious institutions such as the Buffalo AKG Art Museum and Burchfield Penney Art Center.
Aitina's accolades include the Buffalo State University Young Alumnus Achievement Award, Citizens Bank Community Champion award, and Arts Services Inc. Trailblazer of the Arts Award to name a few. Her remarkable achievements establish her as an inspiring leader and a catalyst for positive transformation in the creative arts industry.
