Olga Nenazhivina, of Bradenton, Fla., took home top honors with “Best of Show” and a $5,000 prize at Mayfaire by-the-Lake 2026.
Originally from Russia, Nenazhivina’s medium of choice is ink on paper. “I liken my process to a conversation,” she writes on her website. “The paper speaks in soft irregularities, the ink responds in fluid lines.”
Wood artist Craig Sacra was the only Lakeland artist recognized this year, earning a Merit Award. Sacra said he incorporates words, like “Grow” and “Rise,” that hold special meaning for him.
Winter Haven sculpture artist, Trent Manning, who participated in the festival along with his wife, Daphne, and daughter, Harlow, was also awarded a Merit Award.
Gabriela Gonzalez Dellosso, a painter of Cuban and Ecuadorian heritage, judged the work at Mayfaire this year. The festival awards $17,000 in prizes to chosen artists.
A full list of artists, searchable by name, location, and medium, is available online.
Awards of Excellence – $2,000 each
- Heather Duncan of Lake Alfred, Florida — Mixed Media
- Richard Wilson or Wendell, North Carolina — Drawing & Graphics
Awards of Distinction – $1,000 each
- Robin Holt of Tallahassee, Florida — Jewelry
- Paul Tilton of Venice, Florida — Photography
- Ray McLendon of Fort Pierce, Florida — Painting, Oil & Acrylic
- Magali Cereghino-Groves of Orlando, Florida — Wood
Merit Awards – $500 each
- Jack Hill of DeLand, Florida — Mixed Media
- Trent Manning of Winter Haven, Florida — Sculpture
- Oriana Gerez of Miami, Florida — Mixed Media
- Danny O’Driscoll of Batesburg, South Carolina — Painting, Oil & Acrylic
- Diana Zhang of Stuart, Florida — Photography
- Craig Sacra of Lakeland, Florida — Wood
Honorable Mention Awards – $200 each
- Inna Schoeler of Bonita Springs, Florida — Fiber
- Johanny De Los Santos of Orlando, Florida — Jewelry
- Mike Gibson of Naples, Florida — Jewelry
- Peggy Miller of Melbourne Beach, Florida — Jewelry
- Suzanne Bellows of Valrico, Florida — Mixed Media
Click on any photo below to begin a slideshow:
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