Visitors to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus were in for a surprise this summer.

As they walked near the front lawn of the Fine Arts Building in recent weeks, pedestrians were greeted by a 15-foot house of cards sculpture that’s not quite as shaky as the name suggests. A large pile of cardboard fruit and a clothesline with clothing outlines also adorn the property.

Participants in 3-D Design — one of four summer intensive workshops offered by the UALR Department of Art — provided those new campus photo opportunities.

The workshop, led by instructor Mia Hall, focused on 3-D art elements and principles.

As part of the workshop’s final assignment, each student brought a proposal for a project the class could build and install within a week. It needed to have a big visual impact, be safe for outdoor installation, and cost no more than $300, said Hall, a UALR associate professor of art.

When it came time to choose, participants voted on Justin Lamb’s card construction proposal.

To complete the sculpture in a short amount of time, eight students divided up the tasks, including laser cutting stencils, spray-painting cards, and conducting material stress tests. Card faces were carefully hand painted.

The results of the students’ work can be viewed for about another month.

In the past, Hall’s workshop groups created temporary attractions such as a giant zombie emerging from the Fine Arts lawn and transparent human figures that greeted students along Campus Drive.

UALR’s art department, which is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Arts degrees in art history, studio art, and art education.