On Dec. 5, Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., presented two art gallery openings by widely divergent artists, both of whom expand the confines of the traditional canvas.
Chicagoan Nick Mozak’s work is abstract; he works on collage on wood, hand made paper, silk, linen and oil and acrylic paints. New Yorker Kevin Lustik’s work is focused on stitching and needlepoint, and is accented with humor and commentary. Both artists attended the opening.
Mozak and Lustik approach their work from different backgrounds and avenues. Mozak’s work is fueled and influenced by his career as a scenic and costume designer in professional and educational venues. Originally from Crystal Lake, Mozak’s current art pieces feature mixed media, found pieces, bold splashes of acrylic, cloth on cloth, graphite and pencil scrawling, and found pieces (among the articles in his canvases are old postcards and bus passes).
Mozak said, “I like working on wood because I can scratch it and draw on it…nothing is ever wasted.”
Lustik, who attended Northern Illinois University—where he got his BA in English and theater history, writing, and criticism—started working full time at a law firm while his art became something he did for himself after hours. After college, Lustik wanted to do something with his hands, so he began quilting, which led to needlepoint kits and ultimately creating his own designs.
Lustik said, “Creating art was always part-time for me, something I did in the evenings or on weekends. I never wanted to be a full-time artist, living in a garret and starving. I wanted my artwork to be a pleasurable, relaxing activity.”
He added, “I like to break the traditional rules of stitchery. Needlepoint is usually neat, tidy, and quaint. But my pieces include torn fabric, unfinished canvases, and yarn extending outside the mat and frame. Also, I like to add a dash of wit. It’s a completely selfish act, pure joy …I do it for myself.”
Lustik has exhibited his works at New York’s Leslie Lohman Project Space, the Port Authority, ChaShaMa, and the Garment District Alliance.
Both exhibitions run through February 2026.
