The Studio Arts building at Louisiana State University has been slowly and steadily falling apart for the past 90 years. Renovations have been promised to the students and faculty that work in this building multiple times, but "more important" projects have caused the renovation to be put off time and time again. The building has been in poor condition for many years and has only received minor repairs. Unfortunately, it's getting worse. This historic building has a variety of rodents and insects infesting it, a 300 pound piece of concrete ceiling fell in the ceramics department, black mold grows unhindered, many of the walls are painted with lead paint that flakes down into the studios, open drains flood work spaces, there are tiles that contain asbestos, parts of the roof leak when it rains, there are several broken windows, and poor security causes students to worry that burglars, vandals, or violent intruders may invade their classrooms and studios at any time. Every part of the building has its own set of hazards; for example, the painting studios have no air conditioning even in the hottest times of the year and the ceramics department is often too cold to work in. The list goes on.

The faculty and students in the art department are fed up with being treated as inferior. The art students pay just as much tuition as any other student, and they came to LSU expecting the high quality education that a flagship university promises. If the renovation keeps getting delayed, less students will want to attend LSU, the College of Art & Design may lose accreditation, and the whole community will suffer. The construction of Shaw Center for the Arts helped instigate a large scale revitalization of the downtown area, and fixing the Studio Arts building would do the same for LSU.

This is not just about the students and professors that work in the Studio Arts building: it is about the community as a whole, from family and friends to coworkers and neighbors. Sign this petition to show the Louisiana Legislature how many of our citizens and visitors are concerned about the health and safety of fellow human beings.