james michaels, ‘15 men,’ 1992, Oil on canvas, 1992 mayfaire by-the-lake museum purchase award through the kent harrison memorial acquisition fund, Polk Museum of Art Permanent Collection.

For the past 51 years on Mother’s Day Weekend, the Polk Museum of Art has presented its annual Mayfaire by-the-Lake fine art festival on the shores of nearby Lake Morton.The two-day fair — a staple of the Spring season — draws thousands of visitors from near and far who browse hundreds of artist tents, purchase art, listen to live music, eat classic festival food, and immerse themselves in a weekend of culture.

To be certain, Mayfaire is a lot of fun, but it is also about so much more. Mayfaire aligns with the core of the Museum’s educational mission: to bring exceptional art experiences to our entire community. Thus, while much of the history of art and museum exhibitions focus necessarily on artists of the past, Mayfaire also spotlights the importants of museums — and our museum’s — ongoing support of living artists. Indeed, the artists who exhibit at Mayfaire come from across the country to showcase their talents — and ideally get their work into the hands of collectors. The Museum has traditionally been one such collector of Mayfaire art.

This installation features a selection of some of our favorite Mayfaire artists, award-winning exhibitors whose work we have added to our own permanent collection over the decades. We dug into our archives so you can join us as we take a look back. Enjoy this Blast from the Past.