Located in Las Tunas on the north side of Todos Santos is The CO-OP Baja (across the street and just before Poke Loko), a unique combination of a shared space, community Curious Conversation events (one on February 15 on Dwelling Well Rituals – see photos) and carefully selected sustainable products for the home. I visited The CO-OP Baja as they had commented on the post about Mike Brinkman Photography, one of the artists they display. During my visit, I was lucky enough to meet one of the owners, Sam Pogue and learn the history of the place.
It turns out that Sam and I shared many background experiences in common. She had been an executive in the music industry, an artist manager and after a break (while being a Yoga instructor), an event planner for the food industry in New York. She came to Todos Santos to visit her parents in November 2020 for a month – she has never left. After spending too much time doing nothing (also a bit of a workaholic like me), she was searching for something to do. She created a website to provide recommendations on the best restaurants from Cerritos to Todos Santos, so that her partner, Jay Masachi would haven’t been continually answering the question – Where should we go to eat?
Opening in April 2022, the initial idea for The CO-OP Baja was to provide a co-working space for people who were either building a new home in Todos Santos or who worked from home but sometimes needed better Internet or just to get out of the house. A whole section of the space is a series of small tables and chairs to let people sit and work or meet and share water, coffee or tea. But it was also clear that there was no solution in Todos Santos for high quality sustainable products to furnish and outfit all of the new homes and condos that were being built. Outside of going to big box or specialty stores in La Paz or Cabo San Lucas, it was a significant challenge for people to find high-quality household products produced either locally or in Mexico in general. At first, they researched the artisans in the local area who built furniture or made dishes and glassware or produced great art. They quickly learned that everyone was so busy because of the boom in the area that while they may be able to get some great pieces, there would not be a steady stream from all the artisans they loved.
So at that point, Guadalajara became a place to visit and learn about the best suppliers. The overarching theme of how they work is to find people who are excellent and passionate about their craft, and are willing to collaborate to create functional artwork for the home. They test out and use most of the pieces before they put them on their shelves to make sure they are durable for home usage and the unique climate in Baja Sur. In fact, the water I was offered was from a ceramic glass from the shelf. Wanting to touch and feel every product that they carry, they hired an expediter in Guadalajara to visit and meet with any producer that they would consider showcasing.
Some examples of their current passionate producers are:
Hacha MX is a 5th generation ceramicist based in Tlaquepaque, Jalisco. Five sets of hands craft every single piece of pottery that comes from this maker, led by potter Santi Padilla.
Minerva is a female-business owner based in Tonala, Jalisco. Her ceramic business is a family operation, with her husband molding many of the pieces, using methods passed down through their family. They guard their technique closely and have become one of the COOP’s most popular makers.
India Maya is a Todos Santos-based ceramicist who predominantly pit-fires her ceramics that are handmade from clay, which she also makes herself using earth that she digs up in the area between Todos Santos and La Paz. It’s a family operation with her husband Arturo, who himself is a master welder and craftsman.
Mili.Studios is their local-furniture maker partner; with a background in technical design in both metalwork and carpentry, there’s nothing they can’t create together using materials that will best weather the unique climate of the region. Functional artwork that you can build a life on.
Bonfire cookout is a mobile outdoor open-fire cooking collection designed by Sam Pogue, and forged by hand with their master welder Eric in La Paz. The pieces of the collection can be used separately or together for different styles of outdoor cooking including roasting, grilling, baking and more, the goal is to make live-fire cooking accessible for everyone.
Sanctum Baja is their home outfitting business that creates the pieces that you see in the shop and co-working space.
The photos I include below combine those that I took during my visit that provide an overview of the layout and range of products available at The CO-OP Baja along with close ups provided by Sam and Drew of some of their most popular items.
If you like great things for your home and want to meet some interesting people, take a trip to Todos Santos and visit The CO-OP Baja on Camino Las Playitas. For more information visit their website at thecoopbaja.com.
You can also visit them on Facebook at facebook.com/THECOOPBAJA or on Instagram at instagram.com/thecoopbaja.
