Wender·Vista
Gasparilla Island
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUnited States
on the Gulf side of southwest Florida, an hour north of Fort Myers

Gasparilla Island

— — the May the tarpon come back through the pass.

— 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 long thin barrier island ending at Boca Grande Pass, where the deep channel funnels tarpon up the coast every spring. The village runs to clapboard cottages, banyans, and a lighthouse painted the colour of old shells. Bikes outnumber cars. The fishing guides have known each other for decades. The sunsets land on the water without much narration. — from the studio

from the studio
Gasparilla Island
— bring it home

Gasparilla Island, 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 Gasparilla Island

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

Gasparilla Island is a barrier island on Florida's Gulf coast, running roughly 11 kilometres along the seaward edge of Charlotte Harbor and split between Lee and Charlotte Counties. Its southern end terminates at Boca Grande Pass, one of the deepest natural inlets on the west Florida coast. The single village of Boca Grande, established as a phosphate-shipping port in the 1890s, sits midway along the island and is reached by the Boca Grande Causeway, a toll bridge from Placida on the mainland.

— the water

Boca Grande Pass, at the island's south end, runs more than 24 metres deep and funnels migrating Atlantic tarpon through a narrow channel each spring. From late April through July the pass holds one of the densest concentrations of large tarpon anywhere in the world, with the World's Richest Tarpon Tournament fished out of Boca Grande every May since 1980. The fishery is catch-and-release, and the village's economy still moves to the rhythm of the run.

— the visit

Gasparilla Island State Park covers the southern tip, including the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, completed in 1890 and restored as a small maritime museum in 1999. The park charges a modest day-use fee at the main parking areas, with the lighthouse museum open Wednesday through Sunday in season. Most visitors come by car across the causeway from Placida, then move around the village by golf cart or bicycle on the seven-mile paved trail that runs the length of the island.

— where
United States · Lee and Charlotte Counties, Florida
— within
Gasparilla Island State Park
— elevation
2 m · 7 ft
— position
26.7244° N · 82.2615° 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.
5 km N
Boca Grande
village
1 km S
Port Boca Grande Lighthouse
1890 lighthouse
6 km S
Cayo Costa State Park
barrier island park
12 km NE
Placida
mainland village
N
Gasparilla Island
Boca Grande
Port Boca Grande Lighthouse
Cayo Costa State Park
Placida
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Gasparilla Island is on the Gulf coast of southwest Florida, about an hour's drive north of Fort Myers and split between Lee and Charlotte Counties. It is reached by the Boca Grande Causeway from Placida on the mainland.

Boca Grande is the only village on Gasparilla Island, founded in the 1890s as a phosphate-shipping port. It is now a small year-round community of clapboard cottages and banyans, with a winter population draw from the Northeast and Midwest.

Boca Grande Pass at the island's south end runs over 24 metres deep and funnels migrating Atlantic tarpon through each spring. From late April through July, the pass holds one of the densest concentrations of large tarpon anywhere.

The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse was completed in 1890 to mark the entrance to Charlotte Harbor for phosphate ships. It was restored and reopened as a small maritime museum in 1999 and is part of Gasparilla Island State Park.

Most visitors arrive by car across the causeway and then move around the village by golf cart or bicycle. A paved seven-mile trail runs the length of the island, and parking is limited near the lighthouse and beaches.

Late winter through spring, roughly January through May, brings the most settled weather and the start of the tarpon run. Summer is hot and humid with afternoon storms, and the village is quieter than in season.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. For a family with ties to the village or the tarpon season, the tile names the place by its lighthouse and pass rather than as a generic beach scene. A Medium or Large carries well as a house gift.

The soft Gulf palette and stained-glass linework settle into coastal-modern, traditional Florida cottage, and warm-neutral rooms. It also reads well alongside whitewashed wood, rattan, and weathered brass.

Yes. Coastal-modern leans on cooler whites, soft sands, and one piece of named-place art instead of generic beach prints. The Gasparilla tile carries the Gulf colour without being a postcard.

Above a standard sofa or console, a single Large reads cleanly from across the room. For a wider wall, a 4-tile Mural anchors the space, and a 9-tile Mural turns it into the room's centre.

Yes, in either the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and handle humidity, which makes them appropriate for backsplashes, shower surrounds, and powder rooms.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water is all that is needed. The colour is infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, so the image will not fade or wipe off with normal household cleaning.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to the studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. The work is not licensed from a stock library and is not reproduced for any other brand.

— 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.