shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileArizona

in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona, on Apache land

Sunrise Park ski area

— — spruce shadows on snow, eleven thousand feet up.

— 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 largest ski area in Arizona, owned and run by the White Mountain Apache Tribe on tribal land east of McNary. Three mountains — Sunrise, Cyclone Circle, and Apache — share a base lodge at about 9,200 feet, with the top of Sunrise Peak at roughly 11,100 feet. The lifts open most years in mid-December, when the spruce shadows fall blue across the slope. Summer turns the same ground into mountain bike trails and a lake for trout.

from the studio

— bring it home

Sunrise Park ski area, 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 Sunrise Park ski area

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

Sunrise Park Resort is the largest ski area in Arizona, owned and operated by the White Mountain Apache Tribe on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in the eastern White Mountains. It spans three connected mountains — Sunrise Peak, Cyclone Circle, and Apache Peak — with a base elevation of about 9,200 feet and a summit of roughly 11,100 feet on Sunrise Peak. The resort runs about 65 named trails served by seven lifts, drawing skiers from Phoenix, Tucson, and Albuquerque through a season that typically opens in mid-December.

— informed by Wikipedia, Sunrise Park Resort

— the season

The White Mountains catch the southern end of the Rocky Mountain winter pattern, and the resort receives an average of around 250 inches of snow a year, supplemented by snowmaking on the lower mountain. Operating dates depend on snowpack — most seasons run mid-December through mid-March, sometimes into April on Sunrise Peak. In summer the lifts run for downhill mountain biking and scenic rides, and the adjacent Sunrise Lake holds rainbow trout stocked by the Tribe under a separate White Mountain Apache fishing permit.

— informed by Sunrise Park Resort

— the visit

The base lodge sits on State Route 273 about ten miles south of McNary, a roughly four-hour drive from Phoenix. Lift tickets and lessons are sold daily through the resort; the Tribe also issues the recreation permits required for any activity on Apache land away from the main highways. The high elevation matters: the summit at over 11,000 feet means visitors from the desert should plan for thinner air and overnight in Pinetop-Lakeside or Greer before a first full day on the snow.

— informed by Sunrise Park Resort

— where

United States · Fort Apache Indian Reservation, Arizona

— elevation

3,383 m · 11,100 ft

— position

33.9650° N · 109.5800° 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.

25 km NE

Greer

mountain village

8 km S

Mount Baldy

summit

40 km NW

Pinetop-Lakeside

town

Sunrise Park ski area

Greer

Mount Baldy

Pinetop-Lakeside

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Sunrise Park ski area — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

In the White Mountains of eastern Arizona, on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation about ten miles south of McNary along State Route 273. It is roughly a four-hour drive from Phoenix.

The White Mountain Apache Tribe owns and operates the resort on tribal land. It is the only Native-American-owned major ski area in the southwestern United States.

It is the largest in Arizona, with three connected mountains, about 65 named trails, and seven lifts. The base sits near 9,200 feet and the summit of Sunrise Peak reaches roughly 11,100 feet.

Most seasons open in mid-December and run through mid-March, sometimes later on Sunrise Peak. Average snowfall is roughly 250 inches a year, supplemented by snowmaking on the lower mountain.

Yes. The lifts operate for downhill mountain biking and scenic rides, and Sunrise Lake is stocked with rainbow trout. A White Mountain Apache recreation permit is required for fishing and most off-road use.

No permit is needed for skiing and lodging at the resort itself. A White Mountain Apache recreation permit is required for fishing, off-road driving, or activities away from the main highway corridor.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. For a long-time skier of Sunrise or someone with ties to the White Mountain Apache community, a Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio reads as a quiet acknowledgment.

The blue-spruce shadow and snow palette sits well in mountain-modern, alpine cabin, and Southwestern lodge interiors. It also holds in a more minimal room as a single cool focal point.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large reads cleanly. Above a console or mantel, a Medium holds. For a great room or cabin wall, a 4-tile or 9-tile Mural carries the elevation of the place.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish. The colour is infused into the ceramic surface beneath the finish, so steam and splash will not affect it.

A microfibre cloth with water. Avoid abrasive pads and bleach-based cleaners; nothing else is needed. The surface stays true with light dusting.

Yes. Reid Wender is the curator, and the painting exists only as a Wender Studios piece. There is no licensing and no third-party print partner; it is hand-finished in-house in Knoxville.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.