calsfoundation@cals.org
July 9, 2007
In 1975, Leo Ward and his wife opened a studio in Washington County and began to establish themselves as locally respected artists. At the 1982 War Eagle Fair, they marketed one of their creations, called the “blue bird of happiness.” The blue bird has become very popular; over nine million have been sold worldwide, with 8,000 gift shops selling them in the United States alone. All glass and handcrafted, the signed birds come in a variety of colors, but blue is the most popular.