David Figueroa, a 42-year-old sculptor from Sanford, won best of show at The Polk Museum of Art‘s Mayfaire-by-the-Lake, as he did in 2014. The prize carries a $5,000 award. In addition, three Lakeland artists were honored.

Lakeland artists whose works were singled out by the judge were:

  • Christopher Roll, mixed media artist, who received a merit award
  • Alison LaMons, watercolorist who received an honorable mention. LaMons painted this year’s poster art of a fanciful neon sign for the Polk Musuem honoring its 50th year.
  • Mary Mae Witte, oil/acrylic painter, who received an honorable mention.
A sculpture by David Figueroa

[media-credit name=”Polk Museum of Art website” link=”http://polkmuseumofart.org/mayfaire-content” align=”alignnone” width=”572″][/media-credit] A sculpture by David Figueroa | Polk Museum of Art website

This year’s judge was Maria del Carmen Cossu, project director of Latino Initiatives at Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. She also served as Mayfaire judge in 2013.

Mayfaire, sponsored by MidFlorida Credit Union, started today and continues Sunday on the shores of Lake Morton from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Figueroa told The Ledger when he won two years ago that it was his fifth time showing at Mayfaire. An artist for 23 years, his work combines black steel and imported wood. He grew up in Puerto Rico and moved to the mainland U.S. in 2000.

Prize money this year totaled $17,000.

Winners, including their hometown, media and booth numbers are:

Best of show

 David Figueroa, Sanford, Fla., sculpture, Booth #115

Awards of Excellence

 Cheryl Mackey Smith, Winter Park, Fla., clay, Booth #101

 John Mascoll, Safety Harbor, Fla., wood, Booth #97

Awards of Distinction

 Ummarid Eitharong, Orlando, Fla., painting- oil and acrylic, Booth #100

 Jeff Ripple, Micanopy, Fla., painting- oil and acrylic, Booth #30

 Jeff Eckert, Tampa, Fla., drawing and graphics, Booth 112A

 Natacha Monnalisa, Waldo, Fla., mixed media, Booth #88

Merit Awards

 Linda Apriletti, Miami Springs, Fla., painting- oil and acrylic, Booth #29

 Chelsea Smith, Casselberry, Fla., drawing and graphics, Booth #12

 Carmen Lagos, Jupiter, Fla., painting- watercolor, Booth #5

 Cheri Kudja, Miramar, Fla., sculpture, Booth 44

 Magali Cereghino-Groves, Orlando, Fla., mixed media, Booth #89

 Christopher Roll, Lakeland, Fla., mixed media, Booth #136

Honorable Mentions

 Alison LaMons, Lakeland, Fla., painting- watercolor, Booth #119

 Mary May Witte, Lakeland, Fla., painting- oil and acrylic, Booth #109

 William Kwamena-Poh, Savannah, Ga., painting- watercolor Booth #47

 GW Arseneau, Fernandina Beach, Fla., painting- oil and acrylic, Booth #2

 Sip-Tshun Ng, Pompano Beach, Fla., mixed media, Booth #151

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Barry Friedman founded Lkldnow.com in 2015 as the culmination of a career in print and digital journalism. Since 1982, he has used the tools of reporting, editing and content curation to help people in Lakeland understand their community better.

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