The Multi-Dimensional Life & Art of
STORY LIZ GENEST SMITH PHOTO ABBY SANDS
To the naked eye, Mandeville photographer Abby Sands appears to be the fortunate beneficiary of a naturally positive perspective and some happy accidents. But if you zoom in through the lens of her life experiences and dogged determination, you’ll quickly realize that to reduce her accomplishments to simple luck and a plucky attitude is to do her a great disservice. Abby abruptly became a financially strapped, single mother of three small children about 15 years ago. Most of us would give up on any entrepreneurial aspirations and either move near grandma (for her, this would mean Vermont), or go back to corporate life for the steady paycheck and benefits. But these were not options in her mind.
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EDGE August | September 2018
“After the divorce my family said, ‘You need to get a job!’ But I really just wanted to be a photographer,” she states, unapologetically. “I couldn’t go corporate. I had three kids to raise, and had to work around their schedules. I actually worked for a gallery at one point. It was the only time I’ve ever been fired. I mean, I don’t blame them. I was late, the kids were sick, it was always something.” Why wouldn’t she relocate to New England, to be close to family members who could offer support and assistance? Her simple answer is, “I don’t do cold weather. And Old Mandeville is my home.” Though she’s moved around the country quite a bit, Abby lived in Mandeville from elementary through high
