shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileArizona

south of Tucson, on the Tohono O'odham Nation

San Xavier del Bac mission

Name: San Xavier del Bac mission — on ceramic tile, by WenderVista
Brand: WenderVista

— a white church the desert keeps polishing.

— 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

— 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 White Dove of the Desert, nine miles south of Tucson on the San Xavier district of the Tohono O'odham Nation. The present church was finished in 1797 and is still in use as a parish. The lime-washed facade catches first light a full hour before the surrounding mesquite warms up.

from the studio

— bring it home

San Xavier del Bac mission, 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 San Xavier del Bac mission

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

Mission San Xavier del Bac sits on the San Xavier district of the Tohono O'odham Nation, about nine miles south of Tucson off Interstate 19. The mission was founded in 1692 by the Jesuit Eusebio Francisco Kino; the present church, built by the Franciscans between 1783 and 1797, is the oldest intact European-built structure in Arizona. It remains an active Catholic parish serving the Tohono O'odham community. The church is widely regarded as the finest surviving example of Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States.

— informed by Wikipedia, Patronato San Xavier

— the stone

The walls are fired brick coated in lime plaster and washed white, which is what gives the mission its desert-dove appearance from a distance. The interior is carved and painted in the Mexican Baroque manner: twisted Solomonic columns, polychrome statuary, gilt retablos behind the altar. A conservation campaign begun in 1992 by the Patronato San Xavier brought Italian-trained conservators to stabilize the frescoes and replace earlier concrete patching with breathable lime mortar. Work on the east tower and the interior continues in phases as funding allows.

— informed by Patronato San Xavier

— the visit

The mission is open to the public daily, generally 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Mass celebrated several times each week. Admission is free; the small museum and gift shop fund continuing conservation. Visitors are asked to dress respectfully and stay quiet during services. The drive from downtown Tucson takes about twenty minutes via Interstate 19, exit 92. The plaza outside hosts Tohono O'odham vendors selling fry bread, popovers, and red chili stew on most days the church is open.

— informed by Patronato San Xavier

— where

United States · Tohono O'odham Nation, Arizona

— position

32.1067° N · 111.0086° 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.

14 km N

Tucson

city

30 km NE

Saguaro National Park

national park

50 km S

Mission Tumacácori

Spanish Colonial mission

San Xavier del Bac mission

Tucson

Saguaro National Park

Mission Tumacácori

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about San Xavier del Bac mission — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

Nine miles south of Tucson, Arizona, on the San Xavier district of the Tohono O'odham Nation, just off Interstate 19 at exit 92. A mission has stood on the same site since 1692.

The Jesuit Eusebio Francisco Kino founded the mission in 1692. The present church was built by Franciscan friars and Tohono O'odham laborers between 1783 and 1797 under the direction of Juan Bautista Velderrain.

The lime-washed brick facade reads brilliant white against the surrounding Sonoran scrub, especially in low morning and evening sun. The nickname has been in common use since at least the early twentieth century.

Yes. It is a working Catholic parish serving the Tohono O'odham community, with Mass several times a week. Visitors are welcome outside service hours; respectful silence is asked of all guests.

The present church (1783-1797) is the oldest intact European-built structure in Arizona. Earlier mission buildings on the site, founded in 1692 by Father Kino, have not survived.

— about the piece in your home

It's been a meaningful gift for parishioners, returning Tucsonans, and travellers who remember the drive down I-19. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries well.

The white-and-cream palette and Spanish Colonial detail sit well in Southwest-modern, Santa Fe, and warm Minimalist rooms. It also pairs naturally with terracotta, mesquite, and Mexican Talavera.

Yes. The current Southwest-modern moment leans on white plaster, dark wood, and devotional art. The tile reads as quiet architecture in that palette and does not compete with textiles.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large or a four-tile Mural is the usual choice. Above a console, a Medium framed by two Coasters makes a small altar-like arrangement that suits the subject.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are rated for showers, backsplashes, and powder rooms. Microfibre and water are all the surface needs.

Microfibre cloth and water. No ammonia, no abrasive pads. The colour lives in the surface beneath a thin glossy finish.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is painted in our studio in Knoxville, Tennessee, by Reid Wender. Nothing is licensed in.

— if this one stayed with you