Polk Museum of Art Announces Citizens Bank & Trust Mayfaire by-the-Lake 2020 Poster Artist

Lakeland, FL (February 20, 2020) - The Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College has announced the featured poster artist for Citizens Bank & Trust Mayfaire-by-the-Lake 2020.  

Barbara Rush’s acrylic pet portraits surprise and delight viewers with their geometric designs and vibrant colors. Rush’s swan portrait, Infused with Grace, will be the featured image for the 49th annual fine art show.

With Rush attending Mayfaire for the first time last year, she was delighted to have been recognized for her work. “It was quite exciting to be selected from hundreds of artists,” states Rush.

After being asked to be the Mayfaire poster artist, Rush wanted to create something that showed not only her skills and style as an artist, but that also represented Lakeland as a city. Infused with Grace is a tribute to the swans of Lakeland that surround Lake Morton, where Mayfaire by-the-Lake is held each year.

“When you visit, you will see the swans in beautiful black, white, and grey. I used the three colors of the swans and added the beautiful teal, lavender, purple, and grey blues, setting it on a lovely lake-like background,” explained Rush.

Rush’s work will represent the Polk Museum of Art and Mayfaire by-the-Lake 2020, printed on Mayfaire T-shirts, posters, and other materials used to promote the event, which attracts more than 70,000 people to the shores of Lake Morton annually.

“We are excited to have Rush as our poster artist for Mayfaire 2020,” said Dr. Alex Rich, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Museum. “Her image exemplifies the spirit of our premier annual event, with the trademark swans that have come to be symbols of Lake Morton.”

The Polk Museum of Art is also excited to announce that Jayne Wilkinson, editor-in-chief of Canadian Art, the most read art magazine in Canada, will serve as judge for 2020 Mayfaire.

Citizens Bank & Trust Mayfaire by-the-Lake is presented on Mother’s Day weekend each year by the Polk Museum of Art. This year’s event runs May 9-10, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to attend. For more information, visit the event’s website: https://www.mayfairebythelake.org.