Villages Orb Project
Did you locate an orb? Register it!
105 Villages Orbs will be hidden along trails throughout the Villages of Van Buren County, Iowa, for a total of 130 for Orb hunting season 2025! You may find them while hiking in outdoor locations around the county, such as beautiful Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, Farmington's own Indian Lake Park, or one of our many serene trails maintained by Van Buren County Conservation. Orbs will always be placed within a few feet along the trails. They will never be on private property. Please be respectful and leave the property undisturbed.
What is a Village Orb?
These are hand-blown clear glass orbs roughly the size of an orange. They will each be signed, dated, and numbered. If you are lucky enough to find an Orb, we ask that you register it by clicking the link above. There will also be some blue recycled glass Orbs and a few special colored Orbs hidden!
Who can locate a Village Orb?
Anyone!
We do ask that you only keep one per explorer, please. And don't forget, please register your Orb!
Get out, explore the outdoors and the beautiful trails in the Villages of Van Buren, and you just might find an extra special surprise! Just one more thing...if you happen to find a second Orb, please leave it where it is for the next person to discover!
Project History
The Villages Orb Project began as an, when local glassblowers Tim Blair and Kim Steele-Blair coined the word “Orb” to describe their hand-blown glass pieces. Inspired by the Block Island Glass Floats Project and with guidance from artist Eben Horton of Rhode Island, they began developing a project that would place unique glass Orbs along the trails of Van Buren County. Horton graciously allowed them to move forward with their own version, with the understanding that they not use the term “glass floats,” which is strongly associated with his work. It began June 1, 2022, as a collaboration between Bloom and Bark (Orb design, creation, and distribution along the trails) and the Villages of Van Buren (Orb promotion and marketing — aka getting the word out!). 52 Orbs were made that year with no outside assistance.
Due to delays and the pandemic, the project was put on hold until its official launch on June 1, 2022, when the first Orbs were placed along the trails of the Villages of Van Buren County. That year, 52 Orbs were made and distributed entirely by Tim and Kim, with no outside assistance.
In year two, grant funding from the Van Buren Foundation and continued support from the Villages of Van Buren allowed the project to expand. A total of 103 Orbs were created in 2023, with 25 placed along the River Trail for the First Day Hike at Lacey-Keosauqua State Park. In 2024, 105 more Orbs were placed along local trails, continuing the tradition and delighting visitors across the county.
About the Artist
Tim Blair
Tim Blair was born and raised in Van Buren County and has been wandering its trails all his life. About eleven years ago, he took his first glassblowing class with artist Jim Topic in Nauvoo, IL, and was instantly captivated by molten glass. Soon after, he began gathering equipment and remodeling a building at his home, Bloom and Bark Farm (just outside Keosauqua on Route J40), where he and his wife, Kim Steele-Blair, now live alongside a lively menagerie of animals.
A primarily self-taught artist, Tim continues to grow and learn through his travels and studio work. What began as a one-room workshop has expanded into a Local Artisan Market and an open-air studio, allowing him to work year-round in a shaded woodland setting. Tim offers demonstrations and hands-on classes in basic glassblowing, ornament making, and more — no experience necessary, just a desire to cross over to the “molten side.”
Years ago, Tim studied with artist Eben Horton in Rhode Island and visited Block Island, where Horton pioneered the famous Block Island Glass Floats Project. Inspired by that experience, Tim and Kim coined the word “Orb” to describe their own hand-blown glass pieces and began developing what would become the Villages Orb Project. After delays caused by the pandemic, the project officially launched on June 1, 2022, when the first Orb hunt began along the trails of Van Buren County.
Happy Orb Hunting!
Project Collaborators
We appreciate our Villages Orb collaborators!
Bloom and Bark Glass Blowing
Villages Folk School
Healthy Villages
Healthy Iowa Initiative
Van Buren County Conservation
Lacey-Keosauqua State Park
Indian Lake Park
Discovered Orbs
Want to see what Orbs have been found already?
Support
Our hope is for this project to continue and grow with each year. We need your help to keep the magic alive. Will you contribute to the Villages Orb Project and help us continue this experience? Every donation makes a difference and is deeply appreciated.
