Keisha Finnie

Creating and Connecting Through Art and Social Media

As one of the oldest inland towns in America, Lancaster is known for its rich history, architecture, and art. Teeming with creativity, this nearly 300-year-old community celebrates the work of myriad talented painters, sculptors, photographers, and multimedia artists from our region and around the globe. 

Meet Keisha Finnie, one such up-and-coming creator. 

If there’s one word that describes the work of this impressive young artist, it’s vibrant. From her bold color choices to her powerful portraits, each piece Finnie creates is dripping with individuality. Her work—which she describes as “urban,” “contemporary,” and “abstract”—invites viewers into a space that is entirely her own. Through her unique way of looking at the world, she hopes to bring light and strength to those around her. And like many Millennial entrepreneurs, she’s strategically and thoughtfully using social media to achieve her goals. 

“I've been into the arts for as long as I can remember,” Finnie shares. However, rather than traditional training, the self-taught creative credits both nature and her experiences as a Black woman for informing her artistic eye. “I feel like being an artist, you have to take inspiration anywhere you can get it, especially lately. With the weight of the world, it's important to find the beauty in everything. Personally, colors really do something for my mood. I like to call it ‘color therapy.’ Mixing bright colors—either in a simple palette or abstract piece—is my favorite thing to do between commissions or when I want to create a free-minded piece,” she says. “My work is unique because there isn’t anyone else out there that can see what I see. It’s entirely my perspective. So, even if the topic I’m working through was to be duplicated, it would never be the same.”

While Finnie has been producing and selling her work since 2015, there was a time when she lost touch with her creativity. After graduating from high school and briefly exploring the college-route, she settled into a job at Lancaster General. During this time in her life, art was almost entirely off her radar. Luckily, that all changed when she decided to take up a seasonal position at A.C. Moore. It’s there that she reconnected with her creative roots and decided to dive headfirst back into art. “I really am grateful for my job there because it put me into a creative environment and helped me explore different mediums again,” Finnie says. 

Another thing that empowered Finnie to focus on her career in the art world? Fellow creatives. “Being inspired by other artists around me at the time, both in person and online, was really special,” she explains. “Eventually, I too began to post and share my work. In fact, Instagram was a big motivator in my decision to make art my career. Receiving support from people I didn't even know, either in the form of kind words, shared posts, or purchases, gave me the drive and confidence I needed to take my craft more seriously.” 

Then, local gallery Annex 24 reached out to Finnie about exhibiting her work. The downtown space—which specializes in creating diverse exhibitions each month—is run by a mother-daughter duo who are committed to supporting art in its various forms. This includes, but certainly isn’t limited to, photography, sculpture, and painting. Annex 24 also offers classes and workshops.

Working with both novice and established career artists, the team members behind Annex 24 are vocal advocates for the creative community here in Lancaster. “The women that own Annex are such a large part of my success story. I can’t thank them enough for creating a space for local up-and-coming artists,” Finnie shares. 

While fans of her work can follow Finnie on social media and check out her website, she still deeply appreciates the in-person connections she continues to make. “In my experience, the best thing about being a local artist is being born and raised here and finally being recognized for the work I've been doing for years,” she says. “It means so much more when I can walk down the street, see my work—as well as the work of other artist friends—and feel seen by my community. I never would have thought I'd be doing the things I am today with my art. It's humbling to be supported for who I am and what I love.” 

Those interested in Keisha Finnie’s work can follow her on Instagram @KeishaFinnie and visit her website at keishafinnie.com.

By Sam Maracic