WORDS + PHOTO / SUMMER EL-SHAHAWY

Today marked the end of an era at Terra Studios in Elkins. The famed art studio, known for the glass figurines lovingly dubbed The Bluebirds of Happiness, shut down further bluebird production until they can find a more sustainable way to produce them.

Former owner Jamie Ulick, who was responsible for converting Terra into a nonprofit organization, explained why shutting down production was the ethical and eco-friendly thing to do.

“Turning this furnace off is going to do more than anything else we could do on our own,” Ulick said. “Our carbon footprint could be zero and it would still be nothing compared to how big of an impact this will make.”

Ulick brought small groups into the back room where the birds are actually made to allow people to get a closer look at the process. He also explained how navigating away from fossil fuels seems daunting, but that we had the capability to do it.

“If someone had told us that we were going to pour billions of dollars into something called ‘the cloud’ before we had The Internet, we’d all still be using landlines,” Ulick said. “The switch is possible, we just need to put in the time, effort, and resources to make it happen.”

To celebrate the event, Terra provided free hors d’oeuvres, wine, and music from Sycamore followed by Elizabeth Scott and Diana Welch. Attendees wandered around the main studio and looked at local artists’ work as well as went to the back room to watch the last 250 bluebirds made.

The central area of Terra was filled with people of all ages who were excited to wish the bluebirds farewell. Celeste, who will be 6-years-old next month, was very excited to be back at Terra.

“I had a bluebird one time but the tail broke,” she said. “So today I got a new itty bitty one to share with Mom!”

The bluebirds seemed to mean something special to each person at the event, as evidenced by the line that stretched all the way to the back of the store. Attendees were so excited to be a part of something that had brought so many people such happiness.

Cole Spencer, a student at the University of Arkansas said he’d never been to Terra despite being a Fayetteville native. Even so, he had one of the famous figurines on his nightstand all through his childhood.

One of the people to thank for such memories of the bluebirds is Jack Harmon. Harmon is a retired bluebird maker who worked at Terra from 1988 until 2005. Over that period of time, he said he reckons that he’d made close to a million pieces.

The pieces that have already been made will continue to be loved and cherished by children and adults alike, and hopefully in the years to come, Terra will find a way to produce the bluebirds again while also protecting our precious earth.