Artist of the Week: Theresa Abbas
Presenting our Kindred Artist of the Week series! We are big fans of all the artists we work with and we are so excited to share their stories!
This week’s featured artist is Alaskan harvester and maker, Theresa Abbas! Theresa brings the sea to our snack life in her roasted seaweed treats - using her outdoor lifestyle and our own backyard as her creative source.
Who are you?
Theresa Abbas, mother of two, wife of one and friend to many.
What do you do?
Too much to list, but for my business Alaska Coastal Seaweed I harvest wild Alaskan seaweed, dry and process it into snacks and flakes.
I wanted to do something meaningful with and for my family.
I’ve been harvesting personal use seaweed since I moved to Juneau in 2004, but it was in 2010 when my family and I moved to a remote SE facility that we started to incorporate it into our daily lifestyle. It provided a food source and became part of our homeschool curriculum. I was processing and sending it back to family and friends. They requested more and their kids loved it. A healthy food that replaced many over processed snacks.
After moving back to Juneau we decided to start Alaska Coastal Seaweed as a means to provide healthy, local, sustainable foods and be on the water with my family living our Alaska life.
Who/what inspires you?
All thing nature.
What’s your favorite moment in the process?
Being in my kayak with my kids in a remote area of SE Alaska. Each of us quiet, in our own moment, in the middle of nowhere, taking it all in and becoming whole. Couldn’t be a more perfect moment.
What’s a trick of your trade, or a piece of advice for other artists in your medium?
Make your own path. What works for others may not work for you.
What’s next?
It’s a secret…..
