Jessi grew up in Pinetop, a small mountain town in Northern Arizona, exploring various art forms from painting and sculpture to music as a cellist. She discovered a passion for pottery during her first years in college, despite its challenges. After shifting her focus from oil painting to ceramics, Jessi moved to Albuquerque and earned her BFA in Fine Arts in 2017 from UNM.

Post-graduation, she honed her skills as a production potter at Hanselmann Pottery, mastering precision and efficiency, then moving into a studio manager position. In April 2024, Jessi founded Sage Valley Pottery in Corrales, NM, combining her love for functional art and community. Her mission is to inspire creativity, collaboration, and connection through hand-thrown stoneware that enriches everyday life.

James West discovered his passion for pottery in 1984 during an apprenticeship with Rabbit Artworks in La Cienega, NM, where he learned the fundamentals of hand-thrown stoneware. Inspired by the craft and the community of local potters, James pursued pottery full-time, co-founding a studio in Albuquerque’s South Valley and exploring diverse techniques like raku and salt firing.

In 2013, James became head potter at Hanselmann Pottery, revitalizing its focus on hand-thrown utilitarian wares and mentoring young potters. He earned a BFA from UNM in 2022 and is pursuing a master’s degree while leading Sage Valley Pottery’s design team. His work, celebrated for its blend of tradition and modern design, continues as The West Collection in Corrales, NM.

Playing in ditches and making mud pies lends well to the life of an aspiring potter. Sophia Torres grew up in the mountains and acequias of Cordova New Mexico, running barefoot and covered in soot from playing around her grandmother’s fireplace. Starting life here means one has a true appreciation of what it means to live life freely, slowly and mindfully.

As a child, she was always making “something”; tortillas from scratch with her tias, bow and arrows with her tios, handmade dolls, odd sculptures and toys from her imagination, all to call all her own. The preciousness of this time, the creative freedom it brought, and the lessons learned from her family is what has rooted her deep in her art practice today.

Sophia attended UNM and earned her BFA in 2016 with a focus in ceramics and sculpture, and later honed her skills at Hanselmann pottery as a production potter in 2020. Today she spends her hours as a professional artist as well as a production potter at Sage Valley Pottery, where she continues to honor her roots: creating slowly, with purpose, and bringing to life something new that she can share with others. 

Originally from Texas, Stephanie spent over eight years working as a university photographer at her alma mater, Texas State University, before making the move to beautiful New Mexico. She’s always had a passion for creativity and loves using her skills to bring things to life in different ways.

At the studio, she wears a few different hats as the Brand and Community Manager from capturing stunning photos of our pottery to updating the website, processing orders, and being the friendly face you may see in the gallery. 

When she’s not working at the studio, you may run into her at a local market with her macrame art or capturing moments through her camera lens. She’s always busy connecting with others and supporting local artists, whether that’s through photography, craft, or community.

Trevor is an entrepreneur, investor and mentor to small businesses owners. He currently serves as Chief Commercial Officer of the non-alcoholic beverage retailer The Zero Proof, which he co-founded with his life long friend from Corrales. Over two decades he has held product and marketing leadership roles at Intuit and WPP, founded 3 companies (one acquired by Mailchimp), invested in over a dozen startups and served on the board of the Santa Fe-based non-profit accelerator Creative Startups. He has been roaming the ditches of Corrales for four decades and now splits time between Atlanta and Corrales his wife and two sons.