STUDIO MANAGER JESSI PENROD was surprised like everyone else when Hanselmann Pottery announced it was closing in December 2023. A fixture in Corrales since 1970, the business had changed hands several times over the years, but this seemed like the end. The owner “just decided it wasn’t for him anymore,” she says.
The decision left Penrod and head potter James West scrambling. “Our customers were reaching out, going, ‘Oh my gosh, is there anything that we can do to help?’ ” she recalls. That’s when the property’s landlord, who had built the 6,000-square-foot pottery studio in the 1990s, approached Penrod about keeping the businesses going.
With a helpful local investor and plenty of hard work, Penrod, West, and a small team reopened the doors as Sage Valley Pottery in April 2024. “This is my passion,” Penrod says with a smile. “I love doing this.”
Sage Valley’s handmade stoneware continues the work—and aesthetic—West had established under the Hanselmann name for more than a decade. In fact, no one named Hanselmann has been involved for years. When West joined in 2013, he redesigned the collection around the needs of local chefs and small businesses. The signature pieces come in both a bespeckled off-white and a black that settle into a rough, unglazed base like the horizon along the desert floor. “It got us this far,” says West, who served an apprenticeship with Rabbit Art Works, in La Cienega. “What we have to focus on is that quality thing.”
Co-owner Jessi Penrod helped reopen Sage Valley Pottery, continuing Corrales's tradition of handmade heirloom ceramics.
Photograph by Clarke Condé.
Today, several of the same potters continue that tradition of durable heirloom pieces meant to be lived with and passed down to the next generation. “It’s a lot of very utilitarian, everyday-use dinnerware,” Penrod proudly notes, adding that all of their work is food-safe, microwave-safe, oven-safe, and dishwasher-safe.
Sage Valley has also maintained the Hanselmann policy that started in the ’90s—the doors always remain open. The showroom operates 24/7, with sales conducted by the honor system. (Think of it like a pottery farm stand—Corrales is an agricultural area, after all.)
“I have customers come in sometimes at midnight,” Penrod says. “They know that it’s a reliable place where they can come to get a last-minute gift.” Customers total their purchase on the provided forms and put their payment in the honor box. “We’ve never had a problem,” she adds. “People are pretty honest.”
Sage Valley isn’t just standing pat, though. From the start of the new company, Penrod knew she wanted to add small-group pottery classes. She also hopes to build more connections with shops and restaurants, and with the art of pottery making. (Private tours are available.)
“I want this space to be an opportunity for people to learn and grow their skills,” Penrod says, “keeping this tradition alive.”
