Can AI replace grandma? 

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses


With 20 simple minutes of reading, students are exposed to over 1,000,000 words in the course of a school year. In comparison, children who read for five minutes per day are exposed to a paltry 8,000 words each year.

This brain drain didn’t happen over night. It began with the wholesale housing of healthy seniors in nursing homes. 

Now things have escalated with children being more bonded to their phones than parents.

Forty percent of fourth graders have below “basic reading” the worst level in two decades according to the National Assessment of Education Progress.

Literacy is in the United States is declining. Ironically Clay County, Florida with the most aggressive book banning policy in Florida has seen books In its libraries decrease. 

With some questioning whether libraries are needed at all.

According to the American Psychological Association, heavy reliance on AI has proven to diminish critical thinking skills. Personally, I use it as a reference tool.

I’ve read over 30 digital books this year so I’m not opposed to technology. I use ChatGPT on a limited basis.

In the past, knowledge was passed through oral histories. Those days are gone. I just think we need to strike a balance.

bostonedpac.com

bu.edu.com

apa.org

Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life – Dolly Parton 

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

In this age of computers and smart phones, reading to your child is more important than ever. Studies show that technology has made people lonelier than ever.

After scanning a recent grocery flyer, I was surprised to see an ad for boxed lunches for kids. Are parents that busy? Making lunch for your child is Parenting 101.

I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised in an age when 4 year olds hold Apple ipads instead of parents’ hands because parents are too busy to spend time with them.

Sadly we have gone from latchkey children to surrogate parenting. There has got to be a better way.

We’ve forgotten the lesson of Covid. Relationships matter. Our time with our children matters.

One of the truest predictors of future success is the amount of reading that children do at a young age. The amount of time children read and are read to predicts whether they will be successful.

elainemariefineart.com

Children are the world’s most valuable resource and the best hope for the future – JFK

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Taking a clue from the book, I painted the modernist bridge against the anachronist Red lighthouse. My contemporary approach in the lighthouse art painting is a delightful, refreshing and compelling contrast to the historic lighthouse. 

The Art Guild of Orange Park is partnering with St. Johns Day School for an exhibit at their new Performing Arts Center. See breathtaking art by artists from local artists. Orange Park, Florida now through January 6, 2025. 

I selected my painting of the Little Red Lighthouse, or Jeffrey’s Hook Lighthouse, as it reflects the power of children to create change.

Made famous by the children’s book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde W. Swift and Lynd Ward, the story inspired hundreds of children to write letters that saved the lighthouse.

Today, it stands as the last lighthouse on the Hudson River and the only remaining one in Manhattan. A tribute to the power of youth. 

A meet and greet for students begins on October 28 at 2 pm and concludes at 4 pm with parents joining in on the discussion. 

elainemariefineart.com

St. Augustine’s Crucial Role in the Civil Rights Movement

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

In 1871 during Florida reconstruction, Congress appropriated $100,000 for a new St. Augustine Lighthouse. African Americans were a part of the work crew.

In the 1960s, Dr. Martin Luther King and leaders of the Southern Christian Conference Leadership undertook a pivotal journey to St. Augustine, Florida. Their mission was to galvanize the nation in support of civil rights, recognizing the city’s potential to shape the racial landscape of Florida. Dr. King, addressing issues such as federal funding for the city’s segregated 400th birthday celebration, sought national attention.

As St. Augustine geared up for its quadricentennial celebration, racial tensions escalated, drawing national attention due to violent acts by the Ku Klux Klan, white citizens, and local police against peaceful protesters. Amidst this turmoil, an assassination attempt was made on Dr. King during his May 1964 visit. Subsequently, his arrest in June, stemming from a request to be served at a whites-only hotel, further highlighted the city’s struggles.

Despite facing adversity, Dr. King resisted leaving St. Augustine when a Grand Jury advised him to do so, aiming to prevent negative repercussions on the stalled Civil Rights Bill in Congress. In response to the unrest, Florida’s Governor formed a biracial committee on June 30.

Interestingly, the leaders of the National SCLC left St. Augustine just a day before the historic passage of the Civil Rights Bill on June 1. Some argue that media coverage of the tumultuous events in St. Augustine played a pivotal role in garnering support for the Civil Rights Bill. Dr. King himself later reflected that St. Augustine bore the cross of “suffering and violence” that contributed significantly to Congress passing the Civil Rights Bill of 1964.

kinginstitute.org

elainemariefineart.com

Grab your flip flops, sunshades and imagination

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Explore the Miami Beach Art Deco District through of the eyes children. Splash and Color is an 18 page multicultural coloring book featuring popular sites in Florida’s second most popular destination.

This year, Miami Beach Art Deco Weekend celebrates Florida’s Historic Coastal. These destinations alone draw tourists from around the world. Close to 100.00 visitors attended Miami Beach Art Deco Weekend last year.

The event has expanded, offering free fitness classes, a Classic Car Show, live jazz, an Artisan Market, Kids Zone, and more.

The Arf Deco Dog Walk adds a playful touch, while tours and sketch walks provide additional highlights.

The weekend not only honors Barbara Capitman’s contributions but also advocates for the preservation of the city’s rich architectural heritage,

Capitman’s unwavering vision and determination gave rise to the iconic Art Deco District, the first 20th-century neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places. She was the founder of the Miami Design Preservation League.

elainemariefineart.com

splashandcolor.com

Opting out of Father’s Day

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

I was surprised to get an email from Etsy asking if I wanted to “opt out of Father’s Day” emails. According to the Census Bureau 18.4 million children live without a father in the United States. Seems that some men have opted out being involved in their children’s lives. But opting out seems like a “cop out” and doesn’t address the bigger problem.

Fathers who do not live with their children have an impact by their absence. Their children have higher rates of homelessness, incarceration and drug addiction.

Every time I visit Hillsboro Lighthouse and see the statue of the “Barefoot Mailman” I think about my father who faithfully served the Postal Service.

Men don’t have to be perfect but involved. Children need positive male role models who are actively involved in their lives. Building time with your child builds self confidence.

The pandemic has been especially hard on children. They need help navigating the challenges they face. Peers are a poor substitute. Because of social media, most children spend more time with their peers than with either of their parents. Kids are not the only ones addicted to social media. Parents are often distracted as well. It takes a conscious and consistent effort.

My art is shaped by my childhood trips to Fort George Island with my father. My passion for history and the ocean began early. While my father fished, I played on the jetties and splashed on the beach with my siblings.

Look for everyday opportunities to spend time with your child. Try to see the world from your child’s perspective. Try sharing activities like going to the store, shopping, preparing food, playing games and discussing their interests.

Summer is a great time to spend with your child. They may be more open to spending time with you. 

  1. Have breakfast outside with your children minus the phones.
  2. Play family board games.
  3. Take a nature walk together.
  4. Create a family playlist.
  5. Plan a road trip together. 

Time with your child creates lifetime memories that will help anchor them throughout their lives and remind them just how important they are to you.

Play is really the work of childhood. Fred Rogers

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

When my children were young, we had play dates. Each child would select an activity for everyone for a morning. My son’s favorite activity was going to the playground at the lake. As he grew older, he wanted to try fishing. We bought him one of those fishing reels for children to practice his angling skills. As he grew older, fishing became a lifelong passion.

As teenagers he and his fishing buddy would venture to the most dangerous places in search of bass and other fish. I tried my best to discourage his sense of “adventure” but he constantly outwitted me until I gave up.

When he entered college, he majored in Marine Biology to pursue his childhood love.

We tend to “downplay” the importance of play in children’s lives. The Academy of Pediatricians states that play is fundamentally important in developing skills such as problem solving, collaboration and creativity.

playquotes

elainemariefineart.com

Grab your sunshades, flip flops & imagination

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Splash and Color is an 18 page multicultural coloring book featuring popular sites in Florida’s second most popular destination.

Miami Beach is a hub of creativity. In December, Art lovers from around the world flock to its sunny shores during Art Basel; the United States biggest art fair.

Art Deco Weekend continues the momentum and fanfare on January 13-15. Its 800 plus Art Deco buildings are the largest concentration of Art Deco buildings in the world.

Explore the Miami Beach Art Deco District through the eyes of children. Splash and Color is an 18 page multicultural coloring book featuring popular sites in Florida’s second most popular destination.

splash and color.com

A Father who fought for justice for his daughter

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Brant Point Lighthouse has been rebuilt more than any other lighthouse in the United States.

Captain Absalom Boston came from a family of Nantucket Whalers that demanded justice. Absalom’s uncle, Prince Boston, enslaved, successfully sued for his freedom in 1773. He won back wages for his work on a whale ship. Prince Boston went on to captain Black owned whaling ships.

Absalom followed his footsteps and went to sea at age 15 and did well. In his 20s he purchased land. By the 1820s he was the Captain of Industry that had an Black Whaling crew. Absalom Boston became one of the leading members of the Black community. 

The Black whalers had money and an interest in providing good education for their children. In 1845 Massachusetts passed a bill that required the state to provide public education to all regardless of race. Despite local opposition, Absalom Boston used the law to get his daughter access to the only high school on Nantucket.

Black Whaling Communities became an unlikely place of racial justice. Whaling was one of the few industries where Black employees were evaluated on their work and not skin color and could be promoted. It was one of the few places where Black families could become wealthy.

Absalom died wealthy with three homes, a store and considerable land.

To learn more about African American History in Nantucket, visit the Museum of African American. The museum offers cultural and interpretive programs on the history of African Americans on Nantucket. The museum’s campus is composed of the African Meeting House and the Seneca Boston-Florence Higginbotham House. The historical sites are a part of Nantucket Black Heritage Trail.

Absalom Boston

elainemarieartist.com