Polk Museum of Art Announces 51st Mayfaire Feature Poster Artist & Image

Lakeland, FL (March 16, 2023) – Citizens Bank & Trust Mayfaire by-the-Lake is excited to reveal the Feature Poster Artist and Image for the 51st Mayfaire celebration on May 13 & 14, 2023. In a dynamic scene by artist Alex Lanier, Mayfaire’s signature swan is reimagined as a futuristic explorer. Propelled with the help of rocket boosters, the swan takes in familiar Lakeland sites, including the historic Lake Mirror Promenade. This vivid pen-and-ink-inspired digital painting encapsulates Lanier’s signature travel-inspired pop surrealist style.

“We selected Alex Lanier because we wanted our feature poster image to represent the next 50 years of the Polk Museum of Art,” explains Joy Williams, one of the Mayfaire coordinators. “We fell in love with his creativity and forward-thinking. A graduate from Harrison School for the Arts in Lakeland, Lanier has been a Mayfaire participant for the past five years, and we’ve enjoyed watching his artwork evolve.”

Mayfaire by-the-Lake is one of the largest and oldest outdoor art festivals in Central Florida. Since its humble beginnings as a craft fair on the library lawn in 1971, Mayfaire by-the-Lake has grown to become a beloved Mother’s Day weekend tradition that brings over 70,000 visitors annually to view fine art along the banks of Lake Morton.

In addition to honing his craft at Harrison locally, Lanier is an award-winning artist, who studied at Florida International University, and works out of Tallahassee, Florida. Mayfaire by-the-Lake served as one of Lanier’s earliest inspirations as a young artist. “I was a young, curious art student circling around the art festival multiple times gathering inspiration. I can remember pulling my sketchbook out and drawing random memories of the festival as soon as I got home,” relates Lanier.

As a freelance digital artist, Alex Lanier has created illustrations, storyboards, and concept art for iconic brands across the world. Lanier’s cutting-edge travel subjects have been displayed in art festivals and galleries nationwide and, this May, his work will be showcased at this year’s Mayfaire festival alongside 145 other artists.

“Getting accepted in the show multiple years in a row was definitely an exciting full circle moment but being asked to be the Featured Poster Artist for this year’s festival is literally a dream come true,” says Lanier. “I’m honored and I hope to inspire the next generations of Harrison School for the Arts students.”

Event details and information can be found at Mayfairebythelake.org. 51st Mayfaire Sponsors include Citizens Bank & Trust, The Ruthvens, Frost Law Firm, Subaru Lakeland, Southern Homes, Publix Super Markets Charities, Friends of Mayfaire, the City of Lakeland, LKLD Arts Mayor’s Council of the Arts, and Culture Builds Florida.

About the Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College

The Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College is a not-for-profit, academic and community museum that seeks to enhance lives through inspirational and engaging art experiences for all. It is the largest and only nationally accredited visual arts organization in Polk County and the only Smithsonian Affiliate art museum in Central Florida. In Summer 2023, the Museum is set to begin construction on an $8 million expansion and renovation project, adding more than 14,000 sq. ft. of education and exhibition space, including six new galleries, as well as multi-functional classroom and event spaces, with project completion in Fall 2024. The Museum’s hours are Tuesdays–Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm, Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm, and closed Mondays and major holidays. The facility is handicap accessible and special needs assistance is available. Admission is free, thanks to our Strategic Partner, the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation.