Afterflowerswomen,are the most lovely thing God has given the world.

- Christian Dior

Augusta native Mildred Nix Huie (1906–2000) was known as much for her colorful life as the enduring passion she had for art, history, and literature. This remarkable woman who called St. Simons Island her home for almost 40 years was an impressionist painter, sculptor, historian, and writer. She spent much of her childhood at her family’s home in Savannah, could even claim Johnny Mercer as a nextdoor neighbor. Although Huie obtained a degree in classical education, rather than pursuing a career in that field, she managed WALB radio and TV stations in Albany, and was named Woman of the Year in 1950. She settled on St. Simons Island in the early 1960s and just a couple years later, joined with other artists to establish the Left Bank Art Gallery. This marked the beginning of a long family tradition of sharing a love of arts and humanities with the Golden Isles community.

Not only was Huie a respected historian and writer about the Golden Isles, her artistic depictions of St. Simons Island, especially its historic structures, became an integral part of the island’s visual culture. Mildred’s daughter, Mildred “Millie” Huie Wilcox, is also an accomplished artist and beloved patron of the arts in the Golden Isles. After working in the fashion industry in New York, Millie returned to St. Simons Island in 1966 and took over operations of Left Bank Art Gallery with her husband Robert. They expanded the gallery from a showcase for local artists to a home for both national and international artists with an emphasis on French Impressionism.

In 1967, Huie made the Mediterranean house on Frederica Road her studio, packing it from floor to ceiling with her artwork and memorabilia—paintings, lifesized dolls, plantation records, it was a real treasure trove! After Huie’s death in 2000, Millie maintained Mediterranean house as a museum for nearly twenty years. The property was purchased in 2018 by the St.

Simons Land Trust and is now a pocket park and landmark. The museum’s contents were donated to The Morris Museum of Art in Augusta. The College of Coastal Georgia honored the contributions to the Golden Isles art community made by these two remarkable women with a dedication of The Huie-Wilcox Gallery on its campus in 1995.

Women’s clubs and civic organizations are another way that the women of our community shape life in the Golden Isles. In addition to the works and charitable giving done by our local garden clubs and women’s church groups that we see through home and garden tours and other community events, we have some significant civic organizations that strive to make a positive impact. From beautification projects to programs supporting local charities and initiatives to promote literacy and more, our women give in so many ways.

GFWC (General Federation of Women’s Clubs) Brunswick Woman’s Club is a member club of the International Federation, which includes nearly 80,000 members in 3000 clubs spanning every state in the U.S. and more than 12 countries. The Brunswick club, which began in 1913 as the Civic Association of Brunswick, Georgia, then merged into a Woman’s Club in 1917, is dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service. Their charitable works include a Day of Service, where they have made improvements at Morningstar Children’s Services, funding a nursing scholarship at the College of Coastal Georgia, and making band instrument refurbishment donations to both Glynn Academy and Brunswick High School, and the “Soldiers’ Angels” program, sending letters and monthly care packages to a soldier deployed overseas. They also support Honor Flight, Glynn Community Crisis Center, Grace House, Wreaths Across America, Humane