Artist With a Purpose, the first Black-owned art gallery serving Lake, Sumter and Marion counties, is stepping into the national spotlight with an invitation to the Harlem Fine Arts Show in New York during Black History Month in February 2026.

“This honor brings together Black-owned galleries from around the globe, offering a space to showcase artwork, build connections with renowned artists, and share our voices on a global stage,” founder Semeion Richardson says.

Representing the gallery will be Semeion along with artists Belina Wright and Dafeney Jose.

“Our presence is not just about displaying art—it’s about showing what’s possible when creativity meets community,” Semeion says.

Artist With a Purpose has also been selected to participate in an upcoming exhibit at the Archbishop John C. Favalora Archive & Museum at St. Thomas University in Miami, scheduled for 2027.

“This exhibit will allow us to highlight how art intersects with healing, spirituality, and identity,” Semeion says.

The Leesburg-based gallery officially opened three years ago, but its story began long before that.

“Since 2012, I’ve been a mobile artist, bringing the power of expressive art directly into communities, schools, and spaces where healing was needed most,” Semeion says. “I called it Artist With a Purpose because it was never just about creating art—it was about using it to change lives. I traveled to those who needed a safe space to process emotions, connect with their creativity, and feel seen.”

Semeion said the gallery itself was born out of personal grief.

“Everything changed in 2017 when I lost my mother,” Semeion says. “Her passing shook me deeply, and I struggled with grief. In that pain, I found renewed purpose. I realized I needed a physical space where others could come to heal, just like I had. That’s when I opened the Artist With a Purpose Gallery in Leesburg—a studio rooted in community, mental health, culture, and connection.”

The mission remains at the center of everything the gallery does.

“Our mission is simple: to provide a platform where people of all ages, backgrounds, and stories can express, heal, and be empowered through art,” she says. “As a Black-owned gallery, we also understand the importance of cultural representation and unity. We are here to honor that, and to keep our stories alive through creativity. What started as a mobile vision in 2012, and grew out of deep personal loss in 2017, is now reaching across the nation—touching lives, sparking conversation, and creating space for purpose-driven art. We are more than a gallery. We are a movement.”