Wender·Vista
Prince of Wales Island
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUnited States
in the Alaskan panhandle, south of Ketchikan across Clarence Strait

Prince of Wales Island

— — an island the rainforest never finished writing.

— 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

“The fourth-largest island in the United States, almost the whole of it inside Tongass National Forest. Western hemlock and Sitka spruce on slopes that drop straight into the green saltwater of Clarence Strait. Brown bear, Sitka black-tailed deer, bald eagles on every snag. Karst country underneath: El Capitan Cave runs deeper than any other surveyed cave in Alaska. Logging roads thread the interior; Craig and Klawock hold the coast. The light, in any season, comes through rain. from the studio

from the studio
Prince of Wales Island
— bring it home

Prince of Wales 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 Prince of Wales 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

Prince of Wales Island sits in the Alexander Archipelago of southeast Alaska, separated from Ketchikan by Clarence Strait. It covers about 6,675 square kilometres, making it the fourth-largest island in the United States after the Big Island of Hawaii, Kodiak, and Puerto Rico. Almost the entire island lies inside Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the country at roughly 68,000 square kilometres. The principal communities are Craig (population around 1,200) and Klawock on the western shore; both are reached by ferry from Ketchikan and an interconnected logging-road network.

— the water

The island sits inside a temperate rainforest that receives between 2,500 and 4,000 millimetres of rain a year. Salmon run all five Pacific species through hundreds of small streams; the Klawock River sockeye run is among the strongest in the panhandle. Beneath the forest, Prince of Wales holds the densest karst landscape in Alaska — limestone bedrock dissolved by acidic rainwater into sinkholes, caves, and underground rivers. El Capitan Cave, on the north end, is the longest surveyed cave in the state at over 3.5 kilometres of mapped passage.

— the visit

The Inter-Island Ferry Authority runs daily between Ketchikan and Hollis on the island's eastern side, a crossing of about three hours. From Hollis a paved road climbs to Klawock and Craig, with logging-road branches reaching most of the major bays. May to September brings the longest light and the salmon runs; rain is constant in any season. Bear viewing is best in July and August along the Thorne and Karta rivers. Black bear hunting and steelhead fishing draw visitors through the shoulder seasons.

— where
United States · Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska
— within
Tongass National Forest
— position
55.7833° N · 132.8500° 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
Craig
fishing town
90 km N
El Capitan Cave
karst cave
70 km E
Ketchikan
port city
N
Prince of Wales Island
Craig
El Capitan Cave
Ketchikan
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Prince of Wales Island — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

In the Alexander Archipelago of southeast Alaska, separated from Ketchikan by Clarence Strait. It is the fourth-largest island in the United States at about 6,675 square kilometres.

Almost the entire island sits inside Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the United States at roughly 68,000 square kilometres of temperate rainforest.

The Inter-Island Ferry Authority runs daily between Ketchikan and Hollis, a crossing of about three hours. From Hollis, paved and logging roads reach Craig, Klawock, and the major bays.

The longest surveyed cave in Alaska, with over 3.5 kilometres of mapped passage in the limestone karst of the island's north end. The U.S. Forest Service runs guided summer tours.

Sitka black-tailed deer, black bear, bald eagle, wolf, and all five Pacific salmon species. The Klawock River sockeye run is among the strongest in the southeast Alaska panhandle.

May through September brings the longest light, the salmon runs, and the best bear viewing along the Thorne and Karta rivers. Rain is constant year-round; pack for it.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. Many residents of Craig, Klawock, and Ketchikan keep a piece of home on the wall. A Medium reads well as a homecoming gift; a Keepsake suits a desk or galley shelf.

The deep-green and saltwater palette suits Pacific Northwest Modern, Cabin Modern, and Biophilic interiors. Reads beautifully against cedar, hemlock, or unbleached wool.

A single Large reads well above a standard sofa. A 4-tile Mural carries the shoreline's full run; a 9-tile Mural above a console or bed gives the rainforest its full depth.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any wet-room install. The colour lives in the ceramic surface and is unaffected by steam or splash.

A soft microfibre cloth and warm water. Skip abrasive sponges and ammonia-based cleaners; the thin glossy finish does not need them.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is painted in the studio's own stained-glass and alcohol-ink visual language, hand-finished in Knoxville. No licensing, no third-party art.

— 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.