Bluebird of Happiness Votive Holder Signed Leo Ward 1994

Description: Description: Bluebird of Happiness Votive Holder Signed Leo Ward 1994 Approximate Dimensions: 4" Across Weight: 8.2z NOTE: Many of the items we sell are vintage, used or new from estate sales and other homes. We will disclose any flaws we see to the best of our ability, and we try very hard to describe items accurately as to condition and wear. We also provide many photos that we intend to be considered part of the description. Please send us an email if you have any questions before purchase. Thank you so much for shopping with Stafford's Stellar Finds, LLC. Check out our other listings in our store and be sure to save it so you are the first to know of new additions: https://www.ebay.com/str/staffordsstellarfinds HISTORY ABOUT THE PRODUCTArkansas Bluebird of HappinessAKA: Bluebird of HappinessThe original Arkansas Bluebird of Happiness was created by Leo Ward at Terra Studios near Durham in Washington County. Since their introduction in 1982, over nine million bluebirds have been sold. Each bird is individually crafted from molten glass by artisans at Terra Studios and is signed and dated. Though Terra Studios creates glass birds in many colors, the bluebird has always been the most popular choice.While living in San Diego, California, in the early 1970s, Leo Ward discovered a passion for glass blowing. Along with his wife, Rita, Ward opened a gift shop and constructed a glass furnace on the premises. When a city inspector discovered this furnace, the shop was closed, and the Wards moved to Arkansas, where Rita’s parents had retired.In 1975, the Wards purchased ten acres of land near Durham and slowly began to establish themselves as artists. When Ward placed an advertisement for these birds in a regional magazine, The Ozarks Mountaineer, a salesman suggested the name Bluebird of Happiness.After Ward’s bluebirds became a regional success, Rita urged him to sell the birds at hospital gift shops and was instrumental in starting a wholesale business. The Original Bluebird of Happiness is a registered trademark, and the birds have been sold at 8,000 gift stores nationwide. The bluebirds are also sold internationally and have been shipped as far away as Australia and Japan. Each bluebird is individually crafted at Terra Studios, and it has sometimes taken as many as twenty glass artisans to keep up with the demand.The enormous popularity of Ward’s bluebirds has fueled the creativity of many artists in northwestern Arkansas. Over the years, Terra Studios has grown into a 160-acre showcase of artwork created by hundreds of artists who have worked or taken classes there. Ward retired in 2006. The bluebird business was taken over by his son John.Terra Studios announced in November 2019 that the company would suspend production of its bluebirds indefinitely at the start of 2020 as a way to bring attention to the global problem of climate change. The blowing of glass involves a large amount of natural gas and electricity, a process that produces greenhouse gasses, and the studio continues to seek an ecological means of producing the bluebirds. In September 2022, Terra Studios opened the Bluebird Museum in its old education building.

Price: 11 USD

Location: Seffner, Florida

End Time: 2024-12-12T22:33:43.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD