shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUnited States

in the northern San Joaquin Valley, California

Modesto

Name: Modesto — on ceramic tile, by WenderVista
Brand: WenderVista

— — water, wealth, contentment, health.

— 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 seat of Stanislaus County, ninety miles inland from San Francisco on the flat farmed floor of the northern San Joaquin Valley. The downtown arch on Ninth and I has carried the same four-word motto since 1912. The town raised George Lucas, and a generation of Tuolumne River almonds, and most of the world's table wine out of the Gallo cellars on the south side. Summers run long and bright; winters arrive as tule fog that holds the orchards for weeks.

from the studio

— bring it home

Modesto, 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 Modesto

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

Modesto is the county seat of Stanislaus County in California's northern San Joaquin Valley, about 145 kilometres east of San Francisco and 50 kilometres south of Stockton. The city was laid out in 1870 along the Central Pacific Railroad and is named for William C. Ralston in a roundabout way — he declined the honour, so the town took the Spanish word for modest instead. The 2020 census recorded a city population of 218,464, with a metropolitan area approaching 550,000. Elevation at the centre is 27 metres above sea level on the flat valley floor.

— informed by Wikipedia — Modesto

— the stone

The visual anchor of downtown is the Modesto Arch at Ninth and I Streets, completed in 1912 and inscribed with the civic motto chosen by public competition: WATER WEALTH CONTENTMENT HEALTH. The arch was electrified for the railroad's arrival and still lights at dusk. A few blocks east, the State Theatre opened in 1934 and continues to run as an independent cinema. The wider Tenth Street and J Street grid carries early-twentieth-century commercial brick and a row of mid-century neon that George Lucas drew on directly for American Graffiti, set in a fictionalised 1962 Modesto.

— informed by Wikipedia — Modesto Arch

— the season

Modesto has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. July daytime highs average around 35°C with low humidity and reliable clear skies for weeks at a stretch. Winters are mild and wet by California standards, with January means around 8°C and a tule fog season from late November into February that can hold visibility under a few hundred metres for days. The surrounding county is one of the largest producers of almonds, milk, and walnuts in the United States, and almond bloom in late February turns the orchards north of the city pink for about two weeks.

— informed by Wikipedia — Modesto climate

— where

United States · Modesto, Stanislaus County, California

— elevation

27 m · 89 ft

— position

37.6391° N · 120.9969° 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.

at the lake

Modesto Arch

civic landmark

at the lake

State Theatre

historic cinema

3 km S

Tuolumne River

river

1 km NE

McHenry Mansion

historic house

Modesto

Modesto Arch

State Theatre

Tuolumne River

McHenry Mansion

— common questions

What people ask.

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

— about the place

Modesto is in the northern San Joaquin Valley of California, the seat of Stanislaus County, about 145 kilometres east of San Francisco and 50 kilometres south of Stockton on the flat valley floor.

The arch, built in 1912 at Ninth and I Streets, reads WATER WEALTH CONTENTMENT HEALTH. The motto was chosen by public competition for the arrival of the railroad and is still illuminated at dusk.

When the town was laid out along the Central Pacific Railroad in 1870, it was offered the name of financier William C. Ralston. He declined, so the founders chose Modesto, the Spanish word for modest, instead.

Agricultural production from the surrounding Stanislaus County, the headquarters of E. & J. Gallo Winery, the downtown arch and historic theatre district, and as the hometown of filmmaker George Lucas.

Hot-summer Mediterranean. July highs average around 35°C with dry clear skies; winters are mild and wet with a heavy tule fog season from late November into February that can sit on the orchards for days.

George Lucas grew up in Modesto and set the 1973 film in a fictionalised 1962 version of the town, drawing on the downtown grid and its mid-century neon as the visual reference.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The arch is one of the most loved civic symbols in the Central Valley, and people who grew up around it carry it with them. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio reads well.

The palette suits California Casual, warm Modern Farmhouse, and Mid-century Modern interiors. It sits well against white shiplap, walnut shelving, and the kind of indoor-outdoor rooms common in valley homes.

Yes. Civic and agricultural imagery rendered in art-led colour is in step with current Modern Farmhouse work that has moved past printed signage toward original art objects.

Above a standard sofa a single Large tile reads cleanly; above a console table a Medium sits at the right scale. For a feature wall, a 4-tile Mural or 9-tile Mural gives the piece room to breathe.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and built for vertical installation in steam-prone rooms. Reserve the Glossy finish for framed wall pieces in dry rooms.

A microfibre cloth and water is enough for routine cleaning. Avoid abrasive pads and solvent-based cleaners. The colour lives in the surface, so it will not wear off with normal handling.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to our studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. We do not licence or resell artwork from other sources.

— if this one stayed with you