Current Exhibit: Painting Peace, Place, and Possibility
As the United States commemorates the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the City of Sanford, in partnership with The Sanford Museum and the Puzzled Peace Initiative, will present “Painting Peace, Place, and Possibility: The Art and Legacy of Francine Levy,” an exhibition celebrating the life and work of one of Central Florida’s most respected artists and community leaders.
The exhibition will be on display in the Sanford City Hall Gallery from August through November 2026.
Curated by Valada Flewellyn, historian of the Dorothy Turner Johnson Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and past president of the Sanford Historical Society, the exhibition follows Francine Levy’s remarkable journey—from her childhood in Belgium during World War II, to humanitarian service in Kenya, and ultimately to nearly four decades of artistic and civic contributions in Central Florida.
Levy’s story began as a young Girl Guide in German-occupied Belgium, where she secretly attended meetings that had been banned during the war. Those early experiences inspired a lifelong commitment to service, friendship, and peace. After the war, she was selected as one of only five Belgian Girl Guides to represent her country at an international Jamboree in France, an experience that profoundly shaped her life.
After moving to Central Florida in 1986 with her late husband, Benjamin Levy, the couple became founding members of Sanford’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee. Their contributions were recognized with the Committee’s Brotherhood Awards—Benjamin in 1997 and Francine in 1998.
A longtime member of the Sanford Seminole Art Association (SSAA), one of Central Florida’s oldest art organizations, Francine has also been an active participant in the region’s artistic community for many years.
Organized around the themes of Peace, Place, and Possibility, the exhibition features Francine’s award-winning paintings of Sanford, Belgium, France, and Kenya, along with family photographs, memorabilia, awards, and personal artifacts that reveal the life behind the art.
During the exhibition, the City of Sanford will proclaim August 10, 2026, as Francine Levy Day, recognizing her extraordinary contributions to the arts, historic preservation, and community service at the Sanford City Council meeting.
“This exhibition is about much more than paintings,” said curator Valada Flewellyn. “It celebrates a woman who has spent a lifetime keeping her promise—to seek peace, serve others, and preserve the beauty and history of the places she has called home. During America’s 250th Anniversary, her story reminds us that every community, like every puzzle piece, is essential to completing the American story.”
The public is invited to visit the Sanford City Hall Gallery from August through November 2026 and experience an exhibition that celebrates not only an accomplished artist, but a life devoted to peace, place, and possibility.
