In mid-March, the magical world of “Cardtopia” — a wizard’s castle made of cardboard — opened at Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro. The human-size installation has tunnels, secret rooms, creatures, a garden and a laboratory.
The immersive exhibit, on view through the end of July, is a collaboration among artists from Montpelier’s Cardboard Teck Instantute, the Highland Center and area students. “Cardtopia” is always changing and evolving as new people visit and get inspired to create. About 150 youths have taken field trips to the Highland Center and contributed their own cardboard creations, including a wedge of cheese, a stick of dynamite and an ogre’s giant toothbrush.
In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger visited “Cardtopia” and got a lively tour from Craftsbury Academy Middle School students.
She spoke about filming the episode.
How was your trip to “Cardtopia”?
It was raining hard all day, and a thick mist enshrouded the hills during my drive from Burlington to Greensboro — perfect weather for playing indoors in a cardboard castle. My imagination began to wake up as I crawled through tunnels and explored with students. The space was dense with cardboard flowers, dragons, foods and more. Deceptive mirrors and surprises abounded. It was hard to fathom that this magical world was constructed from toilet paper rolls, flattened boxes and egg cartons.
Tell us about your tour.
You know how, as a kid, you can make friends really quickly and easily? It felt like that. I was adopted by a group of students who gave me a playful tour. They commandeered my mic, and the castle came alive with their youthful energy. We stopped to admire seventh grader Alice LaChance’s “Sprig,” a tiny cardboard sprout planted in the lush gardens. “It’s a massive project that a ton of people have contributed to,” said LaChance, who has visited “Cardtopia” four times and is still discovering new things.
It’s a massive project that a ton of people have contributed to.
Alice LaChance
What is the Cardboard Teck Instantute?
Cardboard Teck is a makerspace, innovation lab and the art studio of founder Ben t. Matchstick, who has been making cardboard creations for 21 years now. He cocreated the PinBox 3000 cardboard pinball machines that can be found in “Cardtopia,” as well. Matchstick and Plainfield artist Uncle Erok spent 10 days constructing the rooms of “Cardtopia” in early March, and the space has evolved as new creations have been added.
Back in 2008, I made a video called “Langdon’s Army of Fun,” about a Montpelier festival hosted by the former Langdon Street Café that featured children’s shows by Cardboard Teck. The enthusiasm and creativity is still going strong.
How can people experience “Cardtopia”?
It’s open to the public Thursday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., through the end of July. There will also be special events and school field trips. Cardboard Teck will host a student workshop in the space on Thursday, May 28. I’d like to see the space at night, when the lighting display is turned on. The evolving cardboard creation is sure to transport you, if you let it. ➆
The original print version of this article was headlined “Out of the Box | In “Cardtopia,” students build a cardboard world at Highland Center for the Arts”
This article appears in Summer Preview • 2026.
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