DeKALB – A string of vandalism in the Jack Arends Art building has left art students questioning how much NIU values their work and security.
At around 8 p.m. on Sept. 2 in the art building, a group of teenagers ripped apart student artwork and graffitied in the 3-D Foundations room, bathrooms and hallways.
Jessica Labatte, director of the School of Art and Design, said the school has taken steps to have a new key access for the two foundations rooms that were vandalized. The classrooms will be locked between class periods while allowing students to continue to access them. Existing safety protocols include locking the buildings at 10:30 p.m. every night and having locks on certain classrooms.
“This is something that deeply concerns us because we really value our students and the work that they make and we’re doing everything we can to prevent this from happening in the future,” Labatte said.
Madelyn Lumsden, a senior illustration major, said this is the third time in the past year that this kind of vandalism has occurred. Lumsden said student and faculty requests for increased security have not been taken seriously.
“We feel like we’re not cared about,” Lumsden said. “We feel like we’re here as an arts program to give them money, but they’re not giving any of that money back to us.”
Lumsden said adding OneCard scanners on the doors would add a necessary level of security to prevent or deter these incidents from happening in the future.
“This is work that people spent hours on, and it needs to be protected,” said Lumsden.
Lumsden estimates that the cost of the damages totals approximately $3,000. Included in the damaged items is a Lithograph stone, used in printmaking, as well as student artwork. Past vandalism happened in February and September of last year.
A statement from Paul Kassel, dean of the NIU College of Visual & Performing Arts, said that he and Labatte met with the twelve students on Sept. 8.
“We shared with them a series of steps that we are, and will be, taking in the coming days to better secure classrooms and studios in the building, as well as ways to protect the magnificent student-generated art displayed there,” Kassel said in a statement.
Abbie Hultquist, a senior Ceramics major, said that seeing her classmates’ work damaged or destroyed has taken a toll on her and the other art students. According to Hultquist, it is unclear why a solution to this issue hasn’t already been implemented.
“It’s been really gut-wrenching. Walking out that first time and seeing the studio destroyed, it was just devastating,” Hultquist said. “The fact that it’s just been continually going on is frustrating. I don’t really think there is a price tag on making students feel safe and honestly, I think installing cameras is a pretty easy solution to the problem.”
Lumsden and other art students demonstrated at 10:40 a.m. on Sept. 8 outside of the music building to bring attention to the lack of security.
A statement from NIU Police said the department has interviewed several juveniles believed to be responsible. The department is working with the Juvenile State’s Attorney regarding next steps.
