Grant County has finally lost its marbles.

The pastime of marble hunting, which has been growing in popularity in recent years, came to Grant County this spring, when glass artist Hezakiah Mecham and a few friends launched the Grant County Hiders Marble Hunt group on Facebook.

Since then, the group has grown to more than 500 members and has held several marble hunts.

Mecham, who lived in Prairie City from his mid-teens to his early 20s, now lives in La Pine but still has ties to Grant County. In 2021 he tried his hand at glassblowing and instantly fell under its spell.

“When I discovered it, it was my thing,” he said.

He now has his own studio, HeziArt, where he produces “pretty much anything that can be made out of borosilicate glass,” from pendants to sculptures, shot glasses, pipes and paperweights.

He also makes marbles. Lots of marbles.

But these aren’t the mass-produced marbles you might remember from grade school. These are individually crafted works of art, filled with swooping lines and swirls of color, plant-like forms or sparkly inclusions that look like distant galaxies.

“I put love into everything I do,” Mecham said.

The hunt is on

In April 2022, Mecham took over the community marble hunts in La Pine after the previous organizer, his mentor in glassblowing, moved out of the area.

Here’s how marble hunting works: First, you hide some handcrafted marbles in publicly accessible areas. Then you post clues to their location on social media — typically on a Facebook page for marble hunting enthusiasts — and send a notification to everyone in the group.

After that, the hunt is on.

People who find a marble are asked to post a picture of themselves with the marble, as well as a photo of the “lost” marble in the location where it was found.

Mecham said he had dual motivations for organizing his first La Pine marble hunt.

“It was a way for me to get my name out there as a glassblower, but also a way to get combative with all of the separation going on with COVID,” he said.

Mecham’s first La Pine hunt was such a success that he decided to do more.

“It really took off over here,” he said. “It was amazing.”

Marble hunting comes to Grant County

He had so much fun doing it that he decided to start staging marble hunts in Grant County.

After making multiple posts to hype the event on the Grant County Hiders Marble Hunt page on Facebook, Mecham drove across the county hiding marbles and small glass sculptures at multiple locations along Highway 26, then sent a notification to the group on April 28.

“I started at the Grant County line at the entrance to Picture Gorge and went all the way across to the covered wagon lookout past Prairie City and everywhere in between,” he said.

“It was kind of random,” he added. “I never really know where I’m going to hide them. I just put a handful of marbles in my fanny pack and head out looking for spots.”

Since then, the Grant County hunts have been managed by Aubri Church, a friend of Mecham’s who lives in Prairie City.

“I’m kind of his wingman,” Church said. “He gave me a whole bunch of marbles, and I hide them whenever he tells me to.”

She’s organized three marble hunts so far. The most recent was on May 31, when Church hid five marbles in locations as diverse as the Mt. Vernon frog ponds, the Grant County Regional Airport and a riverside trail near the John Day Community Garden.

Within two days, all five marbles had been found.

For the successful marble hunters, it’s finders keepers — which is part of the appeal, according to Church. Each of Mecham’s marbles is one of a kind, and he sells them at retail for anywhere from $20 to $200 apiece, with a “hider pack” of five going for $50.

“All of them are really cool,” Church said, “but some of them are amazing.”

Since that first hunt in April, Church said, marble hunting has really caught on fast with local residents.

“It’s just something new to do here in Grant County,” she said. “I think they just like the thrill of going to find something that’s like a little piece of art.”

More hunts to come

Church said she plans on setting up several more hunts this summer.

Canyon City resident Laci Wheeler and her children — Owen, 3, and Maci, 4 months — will probably be among those scouring the countryside in search of lost marbles. They’ve gone out on two hunts now, and both times they’ve come back with a marble.

“We love what they’re doing,” Wheeler said.

“Some of it for me is the competition, but then it’s also the puzzle,” she added. “(Plus) it gets the kids and me out of the house.”

Owen, especially, is a fan.

“The other day,” Wheeler said, “he goes, ‘Mom, let’s go marble hunting!’”

That sort of thing is music to Mecham’s ears. There was a time, he admits, when he sowed his share of pain in the world. Now he’s delighted be sowing happiness.

“I always felt like I needed to do better in society. I was pretty wild when I was younger — I caused a lot of people headache and heartache,” he said.

“I found my way that I can spread good in this world, and nobody can stop me.”

To get in on the marble hunting fun, go to Grant County Hiders Marble Hunt on Facebook and make a request to join the group. Then keep an eye on the page for clues. You’ll get a notification when the next hunt starts.