Raised in Northern Manitoba and now based in Airdrie, Alberta, Veronica Funk is a professional artist whose practice is rooted in storytelling, connection, and a deep curiosity about the human experience. She studied art and design at Red Deer College and continued her education through apprenticeships with potters, stone sculptors, and painters in Manitoba, as well as a year spent painting on a Saskatchewan farm. She has been painting professionally since 1999 and recently completed a Bachelor of Arts in English, further strengthening the relationship between her visual practice and her love of storytelling.
Although her creative journey has included explorations of mixed media, altered books, and pottery, painting has remained at the heart of her practice. Over the years, Funk’s work has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines and published in several books. Her creative pursuits have also expanded into writing, reflecting her enduring interest in narrative and the many ways stories can be shared.
A juried member of the Alberta Society of Artists, Funk has exhibited her work across North America, and her paintings are held in private and corporate collections around the world. Her work can be found in collections ranging from a First Nation reserve in Northern Ontario to the personal collection of Landon Pearson, a prominent advocate for children’s rights and daughter-in-law of former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.
Funk’s contributions to the arts have been recognized through numerous awards and nominations. She is a recipient of the Federation of Canadian Artists Tinyan Chan Award, Fortis Alberta TD Mayor’s Night Professional Artist, and AAW Cultural Ambassador Awards. She has also received recognition for her contribution to the growth of arts and culture in Alberta, including nominations for the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award and Soul of Airdrie.
At the heart of Funk’s practice is her desire to create a visual story. Inspired by the urban and natural environments surrounding her home studio in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, as well as memories from her Northern Manitoba childhood, she brings together symbolism, imagery, and vibrant colour to create paintings that invite viewers to pause, feel, and engage. Her work is less about providing definitive answers than creating an opening for conversation and personal interpretation.
Collaboration and the celebration of women are central to Funk’s creative life. Increasingly, her practice has evolved toward storytelling through portraiture, with a particular emphasis on honouring the lives, experiences, challenges, and accomplishments of women. She is drawn not only to the people who shape our stories, but also to the ordinary moments and meaningful objects that hold memory and significance.
This exploration has become the central theme of Funk’s life’s work: creating visual stories that celebrate people, preserve moments, illuminate women’s voices, and encourage viewers to consider what, and who, makes life meaningful.
