Rally for Nika: Life Threatened, Art Stolen, World Uprooted

I created this GoFundMe on behalf of my sweet friend Nika Zusin — an incredibly talented artist, gentle soul, and one of the kindest, most hardworking people I know.

Nika and I met four years ago when we were both hired to work on The Salvation Army’s fundraising auction. She came on as a video editor and designer, and over the years, I’ve come to know her not only as an exceptional artist and team player, but as someone whose heart and kindness are truly rare. Nika quietly lifts up everyone around her — through her creativity, her calm, her empathy, her strength, and her positive attitude.

Now, she’s facing an absolutely heartbreaking and deeply unfair crisis, and I hope we can all rally around her the way she’s always shown up for others.

Just days ago, Nika’s world was turned upside down. Her former roommate — someone she trusted — threatened her life and stole 18 of her paintings from her home, including 14 large-scale pieces representing four years of her life’s work. The stolen artwork was valued at over $84,000. But more than the financial loss, this was a devastating emotional blow. As Nika said:

“It hurts like he took my soul. The pain is hard to endure.”

To make matters worse, just days before the theft, the company she worked with for the past two years was forced to let her go due to their own financial struggles — leaving her without the steady income she’d been relying on. In a single week, Nika lost her life’s work, her financial stability, her home, and her sense of safety and security. For her own safety, she is staying with friends while working with the police, searching for her stolen artwork, a new place to live, and trying to figure out her next steps.

Right now, Nika needs help covering the immediate costs of this crisis, including:

We’ve set an initial goal of $15,000 to help Nika stabilize her life and give her the breathing room to start over — to create new art, find a safe home, and recover from this unthinkable betrayal.

I can say from the heart: Nika is a rare kind of human being. Kind, humble, generous, and deeply deserving of support. Right now, the rug has been completely pulled out from under her — and I hope you’ll join me in helping her regain solid ground.

Every donation, no matter the size, will go directly toward helping Nika move forward: securing housing, legal support, rebuilding her art practice, and finding safety and stability.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for standing with someone who truly needs — and deserves — the kindness of a community right now.