FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A glowing assemblage of sculptures crafted from white oak and river cane will grace the University of Arkansas’ front lawn this holiday season thanks to the efforts of university faculty, students and alumni. Though collaborators joke that Starseeds “is a gift from above” no extraterrestrial intervention is expected; instead, nearly 30 faculty members and students taking a break from final exams will work through the weekend to construct the pieces. The team will install the project in front of Old Main Wednesday, Dec. 17, weather permitting, and will light the sculptures for the first time at dusk – close to 5 p.m.

The idea of installing large-scale land art in front of Old Main was dreamed up by Carl Smith, an assistant professor of landscape architecture, together with friends Stuart Fulbright, a local landscape designer and alumnus of the landscape architecture program, and Chaim Goodman-Strauss, chairman of the mathematics department.

“It struck us that Old Main lawn is a vibrant place in summer; in winter, less so,” Smith said. “I hope we can make people appreciate the lawn at this time of year in its own right – the long shadows and low sun that give it an ethereal, almost mysterious quality.”

“Old Main is the focal point of campus, so people will pass through and experience the work,” Fulbright added. “The space also has the scale to accommodate a project of this scope.”

Plans for the pieces are still evolving, but expect to see five to seven organic forms woven from recycled and biodegradable materials.

“I find the quality of the unknown a bit difficult – with design work you would have 60 pages of specifications,” said Smith, who has designed numerous landscape projects in his native Great Britain.

“We’ll just have to get out there with the material and see what we can do,” said Goodman-Strauss.

Inspiration for the project ranges from the organic assemblages of Briton Andrew Goldsworthy to Wave Field, a new piece by Maya Linn consisting of 11 acres of undulating earthworks in New York State. Closer to home, the trio was encouraged by the success of Greenweave, a 16-foot-high temporary performance space at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks that School of Architecture students built last spring under the direction of Goodman-Strauss.

"It's like pop music," said Smith. "We're ripping off the right people."

The School of Architecture, the department of mathematics, Flynt and Son Hardwood Inc., contractor Daryl Revelle and the Keeling Co. have provided support for Starseeds. The sculptures will be on display in front of Old Main through March 2009.