Families enjoyed 175 artists and vendors at the 2024 MayFaire-by-the-Lake.
Families enjoyed 175 artists and vendors at the 2024 MayFaire-by-the-Lake. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

Thousands of art lovers strolled around Lake Morton this weekend for the annual Mayfaire-by-the-Lake festival where 149 artists in various media competed for $17,000 in prize money and vendors sold tasty treats and other merchandise.

Best of Show

Miami digital artist Alex Lanier captured the Best of Show award and a $5,000 prize.

Miami digital artist Alex Lanier, center, won the 2024 MayFaire-By-the-Lake Best of Show Award.
Miami digital artist Alex Lanier, center, won the 2024 Mayfaire-By-the-Lake Best of Show Award. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

Awards of Excellence

Two artists earned Awards of Excellence and a $2,000 prize each:

  • Elizabeth Eckels, Tampa — sculpture.
  • Lawrence Packard, Winter Haven — drawing & graphics.
Tampa sculptor Elizabeth Eckels earned an Award of Excellence.
Tampa sculptor Elizabeth Eckels earned an Award of Excellence. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
Winter Haven artist Lawrence Packard won an Award of Excellence.
Winter Haven artist Lawrence Packard won an Award of Excellence. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

Awards of Distinction

Four artists won Awards of Distinction and $1,000 each:

  • Chris Boone, Matthews, North Carolina — wood.
  • LaDora Sims, Merritt Island — photography.
  • Lisa Davin, Delray Beach — jewelry.
  • Sergei Orgunov, Orange Park — oil & acrylic painting.
Matthews, North Carolina, wood sculptor Chris Boone earned an Award of Distinction.
Matthews, North Carolina, wood sculptor Chris Boone earned an Award of Distinction. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
Merritt Island photographer LaDora Sims won an Award of Distinction.
Merritt Island photographer LaDora Sims won an Award of Distinction. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
Delray Beach, jeweler Lisa Davin won an Award of Distinction.
Delray Beach jeweler Lisa Davin won an Award of Distinction. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
Orange Park, Florida, painter Sergei Orgunov won an Award of Distinction.
Orange Park, Florida, painter Sergei Orgunov won an Award of Distinction. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

Merit Awards

Six artists won Merit Awards and $500 each:

  • Christine Oakes, Comfort, Texas — jewelry.
  • Dominice Gilbert, St. Petersburg — sculpture.
  • Scott Causey, Sarasota — sculpture.
  • Haijin Sun, Oxford — oil & acrylic painting.
  • Cynthia McHenry Walston, Lutz — oil & acrylic painting.
  • Michelle Barillaro, Knoxville, Tennessee — watercolor painting.
Comfort, Texas, jewler Christine Oakes earned a Merit Award.
Comfort, Texas, jeweler Christine Oakes earned a Merit Award. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
St. Petersbug sculptor Dominice Gilbert earned a Merit Award.
St. Petersbug sculptor Dominice Gilbert earned a Merit Award. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
Sarasota sculptor Scott Causey received a Merit Award.
Sarasota sculptor Scott Causey received a Merit Award. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
Oxford, Florida, painter Haijin Sun won a Merit Award.
Oxford, Florida, painter Haijin Sun won a Merit Award.
Lutz painter Cynthia McHenry Walston won a Merit Award. | Cindy Glover, LkldNow
Michelle Barillaro, a watercolor painter from Knoxville, Tennessee, won a Merit Award. | Cindy Glover, LkldNow

Honorable Mentions

Five artists won Honorable Mention and $200 each:

  • Donna Harris; Casselberry — fiber.
  • Nicola Barsaleau; LaCrosse — drawing & graphics.
  • Michael Nelson; New Smyrna Beach — clay.
  • Marc Gimlet; Ormond Beach — wood.
  • Kelly Perez; Gainesville — watercolor painting.
Casselberry fiber artist Donna Harris won an Honorable Mention Award.
Casselberry fiber artist Donna Harris won an Honorable Mention Award. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
LaCrosse, Florida, printmaker Nicola Barsaleau earned an Honorable Mention.
LaCrosse, Florida, printmaker Nicola Barsaleau earned an Honorable Mention. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
Brutalist ceramicist Michael Nelson won an Honorable Mention.
Brutalist ceramicist Michael Nelson won an Honorable Mention. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
Ormond Beach woodworker Marc Gilmet earned an Honorable Mention.
Ormond Beach woodworker Marc Gilmet earned an Honorable Mention. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
Gainesville watercolor painter Kelly Perez received an Honorable Mention. | Cindy Glover, LkldNow

Poster Artist

This year’s poster artist was Heather Nagy.

Heather Nagy was the 2024 MayFaire-by-the-Lake poster artist.
Heather Nagy was the 2024 Mayfaire-by-the-Lake poster artist. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

Scene at Mayfaire-by-the-Lake

Polk Museum of Art and Florida Southern College Professor Alex Rich drives a golf cart through the crowds at MayFaire-by-the-Lake.
Polk Museum of Art and Florida Southern College Professor Alex Rich drives a golf cart through the crowds at Mayfaire-by-the-Lake. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
A woman walks her goat through the crowds at the 2024 MayFaire-by-the-Lake.
A woman walks a goat wearing a diaper through the crowds at the 2024 Mayfaire-by-the-Lake. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
Cloudy skies kept temperatures cooler on Sunday, May 12, 2024 at MayFaire-by-the-Lake.
Cloudy skies kept temperatures cooler on Sunday, May 12, 2024 at Mayfaire-by-the-Lake and free “Mayferry” golf cart shuttles made it easy for people to return to their starting points after walking for a while. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
Mayfaire 2024
In addition to looking at art, friends stop to chat at Mayfaire. | Barry Friedman, LkldNow
Perusing art at Mayfaire
Blue skies brought crowds out to peruse art at Mayfaire 2024 soon after it opened on Saturday morning. | Barry Friedman, LkldNow
The owner of “Rockstar” the parrot generously let visitors interact with the bird at Mayfaire-by-the-Lake on Sunday. | Cindy Glover, LkldNow

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Kimberly C. Moore, who grew up in Lakeland, has been a print, broadcast and multimedia journalist for more than 30 years. Before coming to LkldNow in the spring of 2022, she was a reporter for four years with The Ledger, first covering Lakeland City Hall and then Polk County schools. She is the author of “Star Crossed: The Story of Astronaut Lisa Nowak," published by University Press of Florida. Reach her at kimberly@lkldnow.com or 863-272-9250.

Join the Conversation

3 Comments

  1. This was a great Mayfaire, but very hot on Saturday. I might have done the awards a bit differently but this is a good list of winners! Congratulations to all the artists!

  2. I volunteered for 10 consecutive years and would love to go back to see the evolution of Mayfaire since my volunteering time but my life circumstance are very different now.

  3. Thanks Kimberly for the great shots of Mayfaire! We were out of town and missed it this year.

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