Wender·Vista
Guatemala City
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileGuatemala
in a highland valley, ringed by volcanoes

Guatemala City

— — a capital under three volcanoes.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The capital of Guatemala, set on a highland plateau at roughly 1,500 metres, ringed by Pacaya, Agua, and Fuego. The city was founded on January 2, 1776 after earthquakes destroyed Antigua and the Spanish crown ordered the capital moved east. Zona 1 holds the cathedral and the National Palace; the modern Zona Viva runs south, with the volcano ridge always on the horizon.

from the studio
Guatemala City
— bring it home

Guatemala City, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Guatemala City

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Guatemala City is the capital and largest city of Guatemala, set in the Valle de la Ermita at roughly 1,500 metres of elevation in the central highlands. The metropolitan area holds close to three million people, the largest in Central America. The city is ringed by volcanoes. Pacaya to the south is regularly active; Agua and Fuego are visible to the southwest on clear mornings. It was founded as the colonial capital on January 2, 1776 after earthquakes destroyed Antigua Guatemala in 1773.

— informed by Wikipedia
— the air

At 1,500 metres the city sits well above the coastal heat. Daytime highs settle in the low seventies Fahrenheit through most of the year, with cool nights that drop into the fifties from November through February. The rainy season runs May through October, with afternoon storms rolling in off the Pacific slope. Volcanic ash from Pacaya occasionally dusts the eastern zones after a strong eruption; the airport closed for several days after the May 2010 event. In the dry months the air carries the smell of pine from the surrounding cordillera.

— informed by Wikipedia · Pacaya
— the visit

The historic centre is Zona 1, anchored by the Plaza de la Constitución, the Catedral Metropolitana completed in 1815, and the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura built in green Cobán stone between 1939 and 1943. Most international travellers stay in Zona 10, called the Zona Viva, where the larger hotels and the Museo Popol Vuh sit within a few blocks of each other. La Aurora International Airport is in Zona 13, about ten minutes from the centre by car outside rush hour.

— where
Guatemala · Guatemala Department
— elevation
1,500 m · 4,921 ft
— position
14.6349° N · 90.5069° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
40 km W
Antigua Guatemala
former capital
25 km S
Pacaya
active volcano
25 km S
Lake Amatitlán
crater lake
10 km W
Mixco
suburb
N
Guatemala City
Antigua Guatemala
Pacaya
Lake Amatitlán
Mixco
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Guatemala City — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The city sits in the central highlands of Guatemala at roughly 1,500 metres of elevation, in the Valle de la Ermita. It is the capital and the largest urban area in Central America, with a metropolitan population near three million.

A pair of earthquakes in 1773 destroyed much of Antigua Guatemala, the previous colonial capital. The Spanish crown ordered the capital moved east to the Valle de la Ermita, and the new city was founded on January 2, 1776.

Pacaya stands twenty-five kilometres to the south and erupts regularly. Agua and Fuego sit to the southwest near Antigua. Fuego, the most active of the three, has been in near-continuous eruption since 2002.

Zona 1 is the historic centre, anchored by the Plaza de la Constitución. The square is flanked by the Catedral Metropolitana, finished in 1815, and the green-stone Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, completed in 1943.

Zona 10, the modern district south of the centre, with most of the international hotels, restaurants, and museums. The Museo Popol Vuh and the Museo Ixchel of indigenous textiles sit a short walk from each other there.

The municipality holds around one million residents; the metropolitan area reaches close to three million, making it the largest urban area in Central America. The valley constrains growth, so density runs high.

— about the piece in your home

It carries well for that customer. The volcanoes ringing the city are the silhouette people from the highlands grew up with. A Medium in a family room or hallway holds that horizon without needing explanation.

The deep volcanic greens and warm terracotta in the artwork settle into Modern Traditional, Mediterranean, and Jewel-tone Maximalist rooms. It also pairs well above darker hardwood or a leather sofa.

A single Large suits most sofas. A four-tile Mural carries the volcano ridge across a wider wall. A nine-tile Mural makes a stronger statement above a long console or a stair landing.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. The colour is held inside the ceramic surface and is unaffected by steam or splashes. Reserve Glossy for dry walls away from direct water.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water handles everyday dust and fingerprints. No abrasive sponges, no ammonia. A drop of mild dish soap handles anything more stubborn.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is Reid Wender's interpretation of the place, drawn in the studio's stained-glass and alcohol-ink visual language. We are an independent family studio with no third-party licensing.

— if this one stayed with you

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