Needlework display at Port Authority bus station showcases art from popular pastime – CBS New York

NEW YORK (CBSNew York) – A new art exhibit showcases the work of an embroidery master, and with ‘Sew Much To Say’ it catches the attention of commuters on the go.

Artist Kevin Lustik prefers thread to paint and needle to brush. He started quilting when he was in college, but the embroidery stuck.

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“I just did a few stitches and thought, I’m hooked,” he told CBS2’s Dave Carlin.

His work, on display inside the Port Authority bus terminal until the end of January, is original and whimsical.

On some pieces the fabric comes out of the frame and Lustik says it will turn the pieces “inside out and inside out”.

With several of his pieces, take a close look to find the creative touches he added. One coin shows a New York subway map, but the thread and needle stay in the corner.

“Because New York will never be finished. We are a work in progress, ”he said.

“In a lot of your work, you put a message in there. Tell me about that, ”Carlin said.

“I’m worried about climate change, so I created a seven-day forecast that goes from scorching cold to extreme heat,” he said.

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Discussing another piece, he said, “I wanted a piece where the wire connects two pieces, so it’s in between, and I thought what needs to be connected? I thought Democrats and Republicans … I would see people looking at my work. And it’s so flattering to see someone studying your work.

“It’s different. It’s not something I’ve seen before,” said Becky Davies, a Birmingham resident.

This exhibit turns heads as embroidery gains popularity with people of all ages.

“It makes you lose your mind,” said Veronica Velez, a resident of East Harlem.

Rudy Saunders, from the Upper East Side, teaches embroidery, and his online and in-person courses have continued to grow.

“There has been a real resurgence in embroidery,” he said.

He says it helps him feel calm and balanced.

“During the pandemic, it’s such a relaxing pastime for me,” Saunders said.

Lustik says each of his embroidery jobs takes up to a month.

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It’s an art and a craft, and those who practice it like to say that a dot in time will save your sanity.