FOUNDRY artist recognized as one of “Franklin County’s Female Firsts”

FOUNDRY artist recognized as one of “Franklin County’s Female Firsts”

The FOUNDRY March 2, 2020

FOUNDRY artist Anne Finucane’s continued service to the arts in our region is currently featured in an exhibit celebrating local “Franklin County’s Female Firsts.”

The exhibit will be on display on the second floor of the Coyle Free Library (102 N. Main St.) through the month of March in honor of Women’s History Month.

Finucane is profiled as the first Gallery Director with the Council for the Arts, a position that she has held since 1991 (although she had been active in the region’s art scene as a volunteer as early as 1987).

The accolade is a celebration of her “female first” and recognition of her more than 25 years working with Franklin County’s art organizations.

Since 2015, that service has also included The FOUNDRY, of which she was a founding member. She currently assists with the Membership and Retail committees where she juries new members and hangs new work weekly.

When asked how the arts have changed over that period of time, she said, “There’s a lot more now.”

According to Finucane our arts scene started out very small in the 1980s and has grown rapidly alongside our arts organizations, which have also become more established over the years.

Adding: “I’ve talked to three people in the last six months who moved to Chambersburg because of what was going on in the arts. When they Googled us to see what we had in the way of art, and they found the Council for the Arts, The FOUNDRY and the Franklin County Art Alliance, and exhibits like this one. That wouldn’t have happened 25 years ago.”

“Franklin County’s Female Firsts” consists of 19 black-and-white photographs by Phillip Whitley with wall text composed by certified genealogist Pam Anderson (who was also one of the participants with multiple “firsts” of her own).

Finucane said she enjoyed the experience of working with Whitley – calling him a “fabulous artist” – and that she had also found his previous exhibit “Black Girl Magic” to be very inspiring.

But she would rather talk about other artists than herself.

“I was a little frustrated because they made it about me,” she said. “I would rather talk about the arts organizations and artists.”

But someone had to come first.

And for that, we at The FOUNDRY thank her.