Wender·Vista
Spokane Falls in spring
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileWashington
in downtown Spokane, on the river

Spokane Falls in spring

— — the river arriving all at once.

— 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 Spokane River drops through downtown in a string of ledges: two upper falls and a longer lower drop, about 150 feet in total. In May, when upper-basin snowmelt arrives, the volume is loud enough to feel through the deck of the Monroe Street Bridge. The river runs every other month of the year. In spring it arrives all at once. from the studio

from the studio
Spokane Falls in spring
— bring it home

Spokane Falls in spring, 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 Spokane Falls in spring

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

The falls sit at the centre of Spokane, Washington, where the Spokane River cuts a basalt gorge through the downtown grid. The drop is divided into the Upper Falls above the Monroe Street Bridge and the Lower Falls just below, with a combined descent of roughly 146 feet over a third of a mile. The river drains a basin of about 6,000 square miles, including Coeur d'Alene Lake to the east. Riverfront Park, built for the 1974 World's Fair, frames both banks.

— the water

Flow is governed by the Post Falls Dam upstream and by the season. Peak runoff arrives in April and May with inland-Northwest snowmelt, and the U.S. Geological Survey gauge at Spokane has recorded spring flows above 20,000 cubic feet per second in high-melt years. By August the upper river often falls below 1,000 cfs and the ledges run nearly bare. The Spokane Tribe used these falls as a salmon-fishing place for centuries before Grand Coulee Dam closed the upper Columbia run in 1941.

— the season

Spring is the only season the falls perform at full volume. Snowpack in the Bitterroot and Cabinet mountains feeds the Coeur d'Alene basin, and the release runs through Spokane from late April into June. The Spokane Lilac Festival, held since 1938, lines up with peak flow, and the Bloomsday road race on the first Sunday of May draws roughly 40,000 runners along the gorge. By July the volume has dropped enough that the dry channels around Canada Island show their basalt.

— where
United States · Spokane, Washington
— within
Riverfront Park
— elevation
567 m · 1,860 ft
— position
47.6606° N · 117.4260° 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
Monroe Street Bridge
concrete arch bridge
at the lake
Riverfront Park Clock Tower
landmark tower
at the lake
Canada Island
river island
at the lake
SkyRide
gondola
N
Spokane Falls in spring
Monroe Street Bridge
Riverfront Park Clock Tower
Canada Island
SkyRide
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Spokane Falls in spring — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

A two-tier waterfall on the Spokane River in the centre of downtown Spokane, Washington. The Upper and Lower Falls together drop about 146 feet over roughly a third of a mile.

Late April through early June, when snowmelt from the Coeur d'Alene and Bitterroot basins peaks. Flows can pass 20,000 cubic feet per second in high-melt years. By August the ledges run nearly dry.

Riverfront Park surrounds both sides. The Monroe Street Bridge crosses directly above the Upper Falls, and a pedestrian bridge over Canada Island sits beside the Lower Falls. The SkyRide gondola crosses the Lower Falls overhead.

A six-passenger gondola first installed for Expo '74 and rebuilt in 2005. It descends from Riverfront Park and crosses about 200 feet above the Lower Falls before returning. A round trip takes about 15 minutes.

Yes. The falls were a major salmon-fishing site for the Spokane people for centuries. The salmon run ended in 1941 when Grand Coulee Dam closed the upper Columbia. The site remains culturally significant.

No. Riverfront Park and all of its viewpoints are open to the public without charge. The SkyRide gondola is the only paid component on the immediate site.

— about the piece in your home

It reads as Spokane to people who grew up there. The Monroe Street Bridge silhouette and the basalt gorge are recognised at a glance. A Small or Medium with a handwritten card carries well.

The cool water tones and dark basalt suit Pacific-Northwest modern, industrial loft, and craftsman interiors. The piece reads as a quiet anchor over a bookshelf or beside a window.

Yes. The current Pacific-Northwest modern look leans on river-stone greys, basalt darks, and Douglas-fir warmth. A single Medium tile holds the look, and a four-tile Mural carries a longer wall.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large or a 4-tile Mural balances the wall. Above a long console, a 9-tile Mural reads as one image at room scale.

Yes. Choose the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any wet or high-touch space. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic and rests beneath a thin protective layer, so steam and splash are fine.

A soft microfibre cloth with water is all the surface needs. Skip abrasives and ammonia-based cleaners. For kitchen and bath installs, a damp cloth handles steam and splash without any sealant or wax.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to our studio. The eye is Reid Wender's, the finish is done in-house, and we do not license the imagery to other makers.

— if this one stayed with you

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