Wender·Vista
Fontana
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUnited States
in the Inland Empire of Southern California, east of Los Angeles

Fontana

— — citrus groves that became a steel town that became a speedway.

— 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

“A city of about 210,000 in San Bernardino County, set in the wide basin between the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains. Founded as a citrus and vine settlement in 1913, rebuilt around Henry J. Kaiser's steel mill during the Second World War, and now best known nationally for the two-mile oval at the old Auto Club Speedway. Route 66 still runs through the older downtown. The mountains hold snow late into spring. from the studio

from the studio
Fontana
— bring it home

Fontana, 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 Fontana

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

Fontana sits in the Inland Empire of Southern California, in western San Bernardino County, roughly 80 kilometres east of downtown Los Angeles along Interstate 10. The city was founded in 1913 by Azariel Blanchard Miller as a citrus and vine settlement and incorporated in 1952. Population is roughly 210,000, making it the second-largest city in San Bernardino County after the county seat. Elevation runs near 369 metres on the alluvial plain between the San Gabriel Mountains to the west and the San Bernardino Mountains to the east.

— the year

Fontana's twentieth century turned on Henry J. Kaiser's decision to build a steel mill at the western edge of town in 1942, the only fully integrated steel plant on the West Coast at the time. Kaiser Steel ran until 1983; the site later became California Speedway, opened in 1997 and renamed Auto Club Speedway in 2008. The two-mile oval hosted NASCAR Cup Series races for more than two decades. A reconfiguration to a shorter half-mile track has been planned since 2023, with most of the original layout demolished.

— the visit

Fontana is reached most easily by car from Los Angeles on Interstate 10 or from Las Vegas on Interstate 15, both meeting just east of the city. Metrolink commuter rail's San Bernardino Line stops at the downtown Fontana station, about 70 minutes from LA Union Station. Historic Route 66 runs through the older downtown along Foothill Boulevard, with a small handful of preserved diners and motels. The Pacific Electric Trail follows the former interurban right-of-way and offers a flat ride across the valley floor.

— where
United States · San Bernardino County, California
— elevation
369 m · 1,210 ft
— position
34.0922° N · 117.4350° 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.
6 km S
Auto Club Speedway
race track
20 km N
San Bernardino National Forest
national forest
1 km W
Historic Route 66
historic highway
30 km NW
Mount Baldy
mountain
N
Fontana
Auto Club Speedway
San Bernardino National Forest
Historic Route 66
Mount Baldy
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Fontana sits in western San Bernardino County in the Inland Empire, about 80 kilometres east of downtown Los Angeles on Interstate 10. The city is bracketed by the San Gabriel Mountains to the west and the San Bernardino Mountains to the east.

Population is roughly 210,000, making Fontana the second-largest city in San Bernardino County. The incorporated area covers about 110 square kilometres on the alluvial plain at an elevation near 369 metres.

Kaiser Steel was a fully integrated steel mill built by Henry J. Kaiser in 1942, the only one of its kind on the West Coast. It operated until 1983 and shaped Fontana's mid-century growth. The site later became Auto Club Speedway.

The original two-mile oval has been largely demolished as part of a reconfiguration announced in 2023. A shorter half-mile short track is planned for the same site, with the surrounding land slated for mixed-use redevelopment.

Yes. Historic Route 66 follows Foothill Boulevard through the older downtown. A handful of mid-century diners, motels, and roadside markers remain along the corridor, which is also a designated state scenic route.

By car, take Interstate 10 east about 80 kilometres, roughly an hour outside rush hour. By transit, Metrolink's San Bernardino Line stops at downtown Fontana about 70 minutes from LA Union Station.

— about the piece in your home

It carries well as a gift. Long-time residents tend to remember either the steel mill years or speedway weekends; the piece holds the city and the mountains together. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio works.

The piece reads well in California-modern rooms, in mid-century craftsman interiors with warm wood, or as a small framed accent in a Maximalist gallery wall. Less suited to strict Japandi or coastal-cottage palettes.

Yes. Hometown and origin-city pieces have grown into a steady category for gifting and for homes far from where the recipient grew up. The Medium in an entryway reads as a framed painting, not as memorabilia.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large or a 4-tile Mural fills the wall without crowding. Above a console or entry bench, the Medium centred reads best. For a feature wall, a 9-tile Mural carries the full mountain horizon.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and handle steam and splashes. The Glossy finish is reserved for framed wall art in dry rooms.

A dry microfibre cloth handles dust. For a kitchen or bathroom install, a damp microfibre with plain water lifts splash residue. No solvents, no abrasive pads, no glass cleaner.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original work from a single studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. We do not license images from other artists or stock libraries.

— if this one stayed with you

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