Sage & Dragonfly is a bookshop and gallery in Historic DeFuniak Springs, FL. We offer a curated selection of books and art, as well as fine crafts and unique gifts. We also provide a place for cultural events: bringing authors, artists, and instructors from diverse fields to our community.
In our store you can peruse a broad variety of new, fine used, and rare & collectible books. We also have fine art and fine handcrafts, including ceramics and jewelry, much of which is made by regional artisans. In addition to supporting our local arts, we are dedicated to finding and bringing in unique works from far and wide.
story, wisdom, and creative expression.
Many names flowed through my mind over the years as I have long designed this venture, but in the end, I chose this name to reflect our dual nature: 1. to facilitate learning and self-development, and 2. to encourage creativity and self-expression. The owl and the dragonfly reflect our focuses within their symbolic natures: books and art, knowledge and story.
The Sage is the keeper of wisdom, especially related to obscure knowledge & inner wisdom, and has been represented by the mysterious owl since ancient times. The owl is a creature of the night and a companion of the moon, and she calls to mind the shadowy realms of our inner work. The Sage represents our company’s desire to provide quality and diverse resources for both external knowledge and personal development.
The Dragonfly has a diverse symbolic history, but most commonly is associated with transformation and its faerie-like qualities. It has long been deemed a special creature by the way it begins as a water nymph, then crawls onto ground as a pupa, then develops into its magnificent flying form. While the nature of the Owl is to reside within shadowy realms, the dragonfly makes his way into the light and ultimately the sky. He becomes a fast and acrobatic flyer, able to fly backwards and upside down. The Dragonfly is a perfect icon for our support of creativity, exploration, and self-expression.
It is our mission to provide a vibrant resource for wisdom and knowledge, growth and development, and creativity and fun. We hope you will join us for whatever most appeals to you.
Sage & Dragonfly is the culmination of my (Gay’s) decades-long love affair with books and art. Of course, I have always loved a good story, but early on I also learned to love a well-written story. Not long after, I developed a passion for ancient things, including books and the art of bookmaking and began collecting old and unique books.
On a parallel path, I discovered fine art in my teens, and began experiencing museums in every place I ever lived or visited. Over the decades, I have spent many an hour in many a museum in many countries, most-often with my husband, Kurtis, who shares my passion for art and art history. (And for the promise of a good wine, he lets me drag him around old dusty bookstores in remote places.)
With the help of my staff and family, I hope to indulge our community in their own passions and perhaps assist their discoveries of new ones.
Gay Huggins Wolff was born in Pensacola and grew up in DeFuniak Springs.
She began college at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and finished at FSU, where she met her husband Kurtis Wolff, from south Florida. Gay got her Master’s degree at FAU in Boca Raton, and her Ph.D. in Archetypal Mythology w/ emphasis in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. She has been a college instructor for a long time, teaching English Lit & Composition and Mythology. She is also a published writer and has studied and practiced energy healing for many years, as well. Now retired, Sage & Dragonfly allows her to indulge and share her passions for books, arts, stories, wellness, and learning.
Gay & Kurtis have moved around over the years, living in South Florida; Westport, CT; Los Angeles; Atlanta; and finally returning to Santa Rosa Beach. They have two sons: Tristan who is based in Colorado and DeFuniak Springs, and Austin who lives and works in Los Angeles.
In Service: We have made it a priority in our lives to support charitable and service organizations. The logos pinned to the footer of our website reflects some of the organizations that we have supported for a number of years, and will continue to support personally and in business. We hope you will join us in supporting these quality organizations.
It is also our desire to strive for a neutral carbon footprint, so know that we donate tree-planting funds to offset the paper demands for the books we sell. Our first donation, made last year, went toward indigenous reforestation of areas of NW Florida devasted by the recent hurricanes.