After reading "The Boys in the Boat" by Daniel James Brown, I became fascinated with the sport of rowing. I visited Turtle Rock Lighthouse on Boathouse Row in Philadelphia. The trip brought the book to life.

The book explores the journey of a rowing team from Washington State University that triumphed at the 1936 Olympics. The narrative highlights themes of teamwork, resilience, and the clash of American ideals with Nazi Germany, complemented by a film adaptation directed by George Clooney.

Guardian of the Sea and Stars

I visited the Space Coast’s only lighthouse, located on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Its most striking feature is the exterior staircase at the base—designed to allow entry while protecting against storm surge.

In 1993, rocket launches shook the prisms of its Fresnel lens, forcing its replacement with a high-powered searchlight. Today, the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse remains a steadfast guardian—standing at the crossroads of sea and stars.

Don't miss the Art Guild of Orange Park's 4th annual "Night Under the Stars" event.

This year's theme is "Enchanted Masquerade." Express your creativity. Don a festive outfit with a colorful mask. Enjoy delicious food and live entertainment at this ticketed event.

Try your luck at the raffle (for an additional fee) and you may win a trip to Mexico, Spain, Portugal or other exciting destinations. Visit the Art Display and purchase original art.

This event supports The Art Guild's local community art events and provides scholarships for local high schoolers.

This dynamic show reimagines works by artists like Van Gogh, O’Keeffe, Pollock, Kahlo, and Kehinde Wiley.

Inspired by Wiley’s Obama portrait, my piece features Periwinkles, symbolizing memories, faithfulness, youth, and strength—traits tied to my birth month, May.

Kehinde Wiley, a contemporary artist, renowned for his historical, classical paintings that feature people he randomly selects, took a different approach when chosen to create the official portrait of Former President Obama. There was no need for pomp and circumstance for a well known figure.

Wiley chose an oil painting featuring a backdrop of flowers from Obama’s home state of Hawaii, his father’s homeland of Kenya, and Chicago, where he once resided.

The County Courthouse is located at 825 North Orange Avenue, Green Coves Spring, FL 32043

Elaine’s Portrait Gallery demonstrates her talent in pastel portraiture, honed during her studies at the University of Hawai’i and through workshops with esteemed artists like Daniel E. Greene. Her portraits have received recognition, including the Southeastern Pastel 13th International Exhibit Merit Award and Second Place at the Flagler County Creative Art Show.

In the Landscape Gallery, her pastel and mixed media paintings showcase a transformative period of artistic exploration during her time in Miami Beach’s Historic Art Deco District. Her “Inspirations from Paris” exhibit adds a unique dimension to her portfolio, and her work in Flagler Beach earned her an honorable mention.

Her recent focus on mixed media paintings in the Lighthouse Gallery reflects her passion for lighthouses, with notable recognition from the United States Lighthouse Society and solo exhibits at renowned museums in New York. Having visited nearly 80 lighthouses across various locations, including London and Ireland, Elaine’s dedication to capturing these iconic structures in her artwork is evident.

This year is the 100th anniversary of Womens Suffrage, the legal right of women to vote.

Before women had the right to vote, they were already serving as lighthouse keepers. “While women were excluded from most professions in the 19th century, they were allowed to be lightkeepers,” and there was no wage gap—one woman even became the highest-paid lightkeeper.

Maria Andreu was the first Hispanic-American to serve in the Coast Guard and the first to command a federal shore installation. She was the keeper of the St. Augustine Lighthouse from 1859 to 1861.

Ida Lewis, the highest-paid lightkeeper, became the first woman to receive a gold Congressional Medal for lifesaving. She faced criticism for rowing boats, considered unladylike at the time. Her response: “None but a donkey would consider it ‘unfeminine’ to save lives.”

This exhibit showcases my favorite lighthouses where women served as keepers and assistant keepers. Visit the exhibit at Town of Orange Park, FL, 2024 Park Avenue, 32073.

The exhibit showcases the powerful legacy of female lighthouse keepers and pays tribute to J. Candace Clifford, a maritime historian, National Park Service researcher, and historian for the U.S. Lighthouse Service.

Candace played a key role in setting up the National Lighthouse Museum’s permanent display. Her book, Women Who Kept the Light, which she co-authored, serves as the inspiration for this exhibit, Shattering the Lens.

Candace’s influence on my life was profound, though brief. This exhibit wouldn’t exist without her encouragement. After publishing an article she urged me to write, I was contacted by the Lilac Preservation Project, which led to a collaboration with the National Lighthouse Museum for two solo exhibits.

Join me at the exhibit’s opening to learn more about lightships and lighthouses, and meet the artist behind the works.

National Lighthouse Museum is located at 200 The Promenade at Lighthouse Point, Staten Island, NY 10301

Tel: 718-390-0040
Email: info@lighthousemuseum.org
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 11:00am – 4:00pm

Step aboard the Lilac Lighthouse Tender in Manhattan and explore the Voices of Lighthouses exhibit, featuring iconic lighthouses from New York and around the world. Through captivating stories and radiant paintings, this exhibit brings my lighthouse journeys to life.

During my travels in Europe, I spent a few days in London, visiting the Tate Museum to see the works of JMW Turner. The following day, I went to Trinity Buoy Wharf to sketch London’s only lighthouse, where I also discovered a Lightship.

Join me at the exhibit’s opening to learn more about lightships and lighthouses, and meet the artist behind the works.

Now a museum ship, the Lilac—launched in 1933—invites families aboard to breathe new life into the vessel. As the last surviving steam-powered lighthouse tender in America, the Lilac is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

You can find it at Pier 25 on the Hudson River, Manhattan, New York.