Cold furnace means ends of Bluebirds

DURHAM -- The Bluebirds of Happiness from Terra Studios have found perches in the hearts and homes of people throughout the world, but creation of the iconic keepsake may end.

Leo Ward first created the small glass figurine at Terra Studios. Ward died in October 2017.

More than 8 million of the handmade birds have been sold since the early 1980s, according to Terra Studios. The tourist attraction offers art classes, glass blowing demonstrations and a gallery featuring art and crafts from local artists.

Using Art to Create a Better World, the nonprofit group that owns Terra Studios, is suspending production of the bluebirds in January when it turns off its gas furnace as an act of environmental responsibility, according to James Ulick, president of the group.

Each bluebird is a rich, translucent blue and is individually created by the studio's glassblowers, Ulick said. Every figurine has a unique appearance and characteristics.

The gas furnace runs 24 hours a day for up to a year at a time as part of the manufacturing process, Ulick said. The furnace burns about 1 million cubic feet of natural gas annually, he said.

"Once you turn a glass furnace on, you don't turn it off until the 300-pound pot inside it cracks," Ulick said of the crucible, in which glass can be melted or exposed to extreme temperatures.

The idea of turning off the furnace began about a year ago when the nonprofit group created the Better World mural on the property, Ulick said. The mural features images by 18 artists about sustainable development practices.

"We realized we were being rather hypocritical," he said of the amount of gas the furnace burns.

It was then he and his wife, Val Gonzalez, the group's executive director, decided to reduce Terra's energy footprint.

The studio produces anywhere from 100-125 bluebirds a day, Gonzalez said. The furnace runs at 2,000 degrees at all times and is used to make all of the studio's glass products, including the Pink Bird of Hope and dragon eggs.

The bluebirds cost from $11 to $26 each, she said.

Production of all glass products will cease when the furnace is turned off, Gonzalez said.

"We realized there's nothing else we can do that has that kind of impact," Ulick said of turning off the furnace.

Mark Gross of West Fork visited Terra with his wife, Carol, recently to buy a basketful of the bluebirds while they still can.

"We'd like to give them as gifts," Mark Gross said. "They're sort of a Northwest Arkansas icon."

The studio has enough inventory to sell bluebirds through 2020, Ulick said.

Ulick said the bluebirds have become a favorite gift for many since their creation.

"They went to presidents. They went to heads of state. They are still the go-to gift," he said.

Bruce Welsh of Silver City, N.M., stops by Terra Studios when he comes to Northwest Arkansas several times a year. He said he sympathizes with the decision to cease production of the bluebirds to decrease the group's energy footprint.

"I can agree with what they're doing, but the bluebirds are such a tradition," Welsh said, noting he's seen them displayed in galleries in his home state.

A vast majority of the bluebirds are sold online through Terra's website and Amazon.com, Ulick said. A small number are sold through distributors Terra has had a long-standing relationship with, he said.

Ulick said production of the bluebirds may resume, but he believes it could take five to 10 years to find a responsible alternative to the gas furnace.

Electricity is a readily accessible option but isn't practical for producing the bluebirds, he said.

"It would take too large of a solar field to run something as energy intensive," Ulick said.

Terra's next steps toward sustainability will include putting a more energy-efficient roof on the studio, upgrading its insulation and improving the furnaces heating the building, Ulick said.

Glass blowing demonstrations have always been popular at Terra, he said, and will be replaced by alternative experiences.

Demonstrations for painting and making pottery and jewelry are under consideration, Ulick said. Creating artist work spaces where the public can view the creation process is also a possibility.

Ulick encourages people to stop by Terra to see the bluebirds being made while they still can through the end of the year.

"There's going to be a lot of anxiety about us stopping producing them," he said. "We wanted to give people as much of an opportunity as possible to come and see them."

NW News on 11/24/2019