Wender·Vista
Mukilteo ferry to Whidbey
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileWashington
twenty-five miles north of Seattle, where Possession Sound meets Whidbey Island

Mukilteo ferry to Whidbey

the twenty minutes between two shores.

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 Mukilteo ferry runs the short crossing from the Snohomish County mainland to Clinton on Whidbey Island, about twenty minutes across Possession Sound. It is one of the busiest routes in the Washington State Ferries system. A new Mukilteo terminal opened in late 2020, replacing the 1957 dock; the Mukilteo Light from 1906 still keeps the headland a hundred yards from the ramp. On a clear evening the Olympic Mountains hold the western horizon while the boat is pulling out.

from the studio
Mukilteo ferry to Whidbey
— bring it home

Mukilteo ferry to Whidbey, 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 Mukilteo ferry to Whidbey

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

Mukilteo sits on the south shore of Possession Sound in Snohomish County, Washington, about twenty-five miles north of Seattle and just south of Everett. The ferry crosses roughly two nautical miles to Clinton, on the southeastern end of Whidbey Island, in about twenty minutes. Washington State Ferries operates the route, and it consistently ranks among the busiest in the system, carrying around four million annual passengers between the mainland and the island. The town takes its name from the Lushootseed word *bekw'eltcho*, meaning narrow passage, in reference to the strait the ferry now crosses.

the water

Possession Sound is the arm of Puget Sound that runs between the Snohomish County mainland and Whidbey Island, named in 1792 by George Vancouver when he formally claimed the surrounding lands for the British Crown. The crossing is short and protected, but tidal currents through the narrows can run hard and the route is exposed to north winds funneling down from Bellingham. On a still summer evening the water gives back the Olympics on the western horizon. In winter the same crossing carries spray, low cloud, and a darker grey.

the visit

The current Mukilteo Multimodal Ferry Terminal opened on December 29, 2020, replacing a 1957 facility that had long outgrown its loading lanes. The new terminal sits roughly a third of a mile east of the old slip and was designed in collaboration with the Tulalip Tribes, with longhouse-inspired roof forms over the passenger building. Ferries run roughly every half hour through most of the day, with Sound Transit's Mukilteo Sounder station and Sounder commuter rail stops nearby. The Mukilteo Lighthouse, built in 1906 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, stands just west of the terminal.

where
United States · Snohomish County, Washington
elevation
0 m · 0 ft
position
47.9476° N · 122.3045° 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
Mukilteo Lighthouse
lighthouse
4 km W
Clinton
ferry town
4 km W
Whidbey Island
island
8 km SW
Possession Point
headland
8 km NE
Everett
city
N
Mukilteo ferry to Whidbey
Mukilteo Lighthouse
Clinton
Whidbey Island
Possession Point
Everett
common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Mukilteo ferry to Whidbey — and about bringing the piece home.
about the place

The Mukilteo Multimodal Ferry Terminal sits on the south shore of Possession Sound in Snohomish County, Washington, about twenty-five miles north of Seattle and just south of Everett. State Route 525 runs into the terminal, and a Sounder commuter rail stop is nearby.

The crossing from Mukilteo to Clinton on Whidbey Island is about two nautical miles and runs about twenty minutes. Washington State Ferries operates the route, with sailings roughly every half hour through most of the day, more frequently during commuter peaks.

The current Mukilteo Multimodal Ferry Terminal opened on December 29, 2020. It replaced a 1957 facility and was designed in collaboration with the Tulalip Tribes, with longhouse-inspired roof forms on the passenger building. The new terminal sits a third of a mile east of the old slip.

Mukilteo-Clinton is consistently among the busiest routes in the Washington State Ferries system, carrying around four million annual passengers between the Snohomish County mainland and Whidbey Island. Summer weekends and morning and evening commutes are the peak periods.

Yes. The Mukilteo Light Station was built in 1906 on the headland just west of the ferry terminal and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The lighthouse and surrounding park are open to the public on a seasonal schedule managed by the City of Mukilteo.

The name comes from the Lushootseed word *bekw'eltcho*, meaning narrow passage, in reference to the strait now crossed by the ferry. The Treaty of Point Elliott was signed on this shore on January 22, 1855, between Isaac Stevens and leaders of more than twenty Puget Sound tribes.

about the piece in your home

It carries well for Whidbey Islanders and the Mukilteo and Edmonds ferry community: anyone whose week includes a sailing and a lane wait. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio reads as a serious gift rather than a souvenir.

The cool blues of Possession Sound and the soft cedar tones of the new terminal read well in coastal-modern, Pacific Northwest modern, and Scandinavian rooms. The piece also pairs with darker jewel-toned walls where the marine palette can stand against a saturated paint.

Yes. The current coastal-modern look favours muted blues, weathered wood, and warm whites, all of which the Mukilteo crossing carries naturally. A ferry-and-lighthouse subject anchors that palette in a real place rather than a generic shore scene.

Above a standard sofa, the single Large reads well at eye height. For more presence, a 4-tile Mural fills the wall above a 7- to 8-foot sofa. A 9-tile Mural is the room-anchoring choice above a console in an entry or a wide hallway.

Yes. The Dura Satin finish is scratch-resistant and built for vertical installations in moist rooms: kitchen backsplashes, shower walls, powder-room features. The Matte finish carries the same use cases with no sheen, if a flatter look suits the room.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water is enough for everyday dust. For a kitchen or bath installation, a damp cloth with a drop of mild dish soap is safe. Avoid abrasive pads, scouring powders, and bleach-based cleaners on the surface.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is made by Reid Wender, the studio's curator and the eye behind the line. The work is not licensed from another artist and is not sold through any other store.

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