Wender·Vista
Fort Wayne
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUnited States
in northeastern Indiana, where three rivers meet

Fort Wayne

a city the rivers wrote first.

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

Where the St. Joseph and the St. Marys come together to form the Maumee, in northeastern Indiana. The old Miami called the spot Kekionga; the army called the 1794 fort Wayne, after the general. Today the three rivers still anchor downtown, brick warehouses turn into riverwalk, and Promenade Park lights up the water after dark.

from the studio
Fort Wayne
— bring it home

Fort Wayne, 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 Fort Wayne

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

Fort Wayne is the seat of Allen County, Indiana, and the state's second-largest city, with a 2020 census population of 263,886. It sits at the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, which join to form the Maumee, a Great Lakes tributary that flows northeast to Lake Erie at Toledo. The site was the Miami town of Kekionga; the U.S. Army built Fort Wayne here in 1794 after the Battle of Fallen Timbers and named it for General Anthony Wayne. The modern city was platted in 1823.

— informed by Wikipedia, City of Fort Wayne
the water

The three-rivers confluence is the city's defining geography. The St. Joseph flows in from the northeast and the St. Marys from the southwest, joining at the eastern edge of downtown to form the Maumee River. Promenade Park, opened in 2019 along the St. Marys north bank, gave Fort Wayne its first developed downtown riverfront, with a pavilion, an elevated tree canopy walk, and seasonal kayak rentals. The Rivergreenway trail runs more than 25 miles along all three rivers through the city.

the visit

Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) is about 15 minutes south of downtown, with daily flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, and Dallas. The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, opened in 1965, is consistently ranked among the country's best small zoos. The Embassy Theatre, a 1928 movie palace on Jefferson Boulevard, hosts touring Broadway and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. The TinCaps Class-A baseball team plays a downtown season at Parkview Field from April through September.

where
United States · Allen County, Indiana
elevation
247 m · 810 ft
position
41.0793° N · 85.1394° 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.
0.5 km C
Promenade Park
park
4 km NW
Fort Wayne Children's Zoo
zoo
0.5 km C
Embassy Theatre
theater
0.6 km S
Parkview Field
ballpark
0.5 km S
Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory
conservatory
N
Fort Wayne
Promenade Park
Fort Wayne Children's Zoo
Embassy Theatre
Parkview Field
Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory
common questions

What people ask.

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

Fort Wayne is in northeastern Indiana, about 18 miles west of the Ohio border and 50 miles south of the Michigan line. It is the seat of Allen County and Indiana's second-largest city, with 263,886 residents in the 2020 census.

The St. Joseph and the St. Marys rivers converge at the eastern edge of downtown to form the Maumee, which flows northeast to Lake Erie at Toledo. The confluence is the city's defining geography and gives Fort Wayne its three-rivers identity.

The city is named for General Anthony Wayne, who built the original 1794 fort here after the Battle of Fallen Timbers. The Miami people called the same site Kekionga long before; it was a major village and trade crossroads.

The zoo opened in 1965 and covers 40 acres in Franke Park. It houses more than 1,000 animals across Australian, African, Indonesian, and Indiana habitats, and is regularly ranked among the country's best small-city zoos.

The Embassy is a 1928 movie palace on Jefferson Boulevard in downtown Fort Wayne, restored in the 1970s after a public save-the-theatre campaign. It hosts the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, touring Broadway, and concerts, with about 2,500 seats.

Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) sits about 15 minutes south of downtown, with daily flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, and Dallas-Fort Worth. Interstate 69 runs north-south through the city; Indianapolis is two hours southwest.

about the piece in your home

It carries well for Hoosiers and Fort Wayne natives. The three-rivers confluence and the downtown skyline are the local signature, and the piece holds the city without cliche. A Medium with a handwritten studio note works well.

The river-blue and brick-warm palette reads in Midwest-modern, traditional, and warm transitional rooms. It sits naturally with oak, leather, and the painted brick common in restored Fort Wayne homes.

Yes. The recent return to regional identity in decor has made Midwest-modern and heritage prints popular, especially in Indianapolis, Indy suburbs, and northeast Indiana. A Small in the entry or a Large in the family room sits comfortably.

A single Large reads from across the room above a sofa; a 4-tile Mural fills a wider wall. Above a console, a Medium centered, or a 9-tile Mural for a stairwell, works best.

Yes, with Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and handle steam and splash on backsplashes, powder rooms, and shower walls. Glossy is reserved for framed wall pieces in dry rooms.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water is enough for routine dusting. For kitchen or bathroom installations in Dura Satin or Matte, a mild dish-soap solution is safe; skip abrasive pads and ammonia cleaners.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to the studio, painted by Reid Wender's eye and produced in our Knoxville workshop. We do not license the artwork or sell the files; the only place to buy it is here.

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