Summer Salon
mActivity Fitness Center
285 Nicoll St.
New Haven
Through Sept. 27, 2026
Sometimes hindsight teaches us that the greats currently live amongst us. They even work out next to us. The neighbor on the Stairmaster may be a professional artist.
Gym-goers at mActivity are reminded of this possibility at the in-house gallery’s annual Summer Salon exhibit. On view until the end of September, the exhibit showcases 44 pieces and 30 artists, all of whom are mActivity gym members.
Barbara Hawes, mActivity’s in-house gallery curator for the last 10 years, called the members showcase a stark departure from the rest of the yearly programming, which usually displays two to three artists at a time. She said she has been astounded by the talent in the community.
While many exhibits in New Haven feature local artists, the setting of this exhibit introduces an extra level of familiarity, especially to non-artists. While artists are typically viewed as all-consuming in their work, they too, have to exercise. And so everyone meets at the gym, artist and non-artist alike, at the outskirts of otherwise jam-packed daily routines.
The diversity of the exhibit requires more effort to drink in. I could imagine starting my workout with a study of one artwork, and ending with another to mull over on my drive home.
But “Mage” by artist Andrejz Dutkanicz, demands immediate attention. The painting is a few inches larger than a sheet of letter paper, and yet I am enthralled by its universe.
Looking at this painting unveils who you are: Do you follow the big picture, the large swathing curls that fold into themselves? Or do you let yourself be delighted by the detours, the overlaps, and the raised edges of the puzzle-shaped pieces?
“Mage” is satisfyingly confusing, because every square inch of it is a contradiction. Controlled color stops it just short from being a rainbow, even with such icy green fading in and out. And while the concept is chaos in its overlapping, the sparse black outline and sharp edges signal a plan to navigate the noise.
Dutkanicz takes every opportunity to play with texture, form, and color, that any tight cropping of the piece would invite intrigue. And even in such a maximalist piece, there is respite for the eye in a few tiny painted circles, to catch my breath before exploring another busy square inch.
mActivity Fitness Center will launch its Fall 2026 exhibit with an opening reception on Thursday, October 15th from 6-8 p.m.. All are welcome to attend, and the gallery space is always free and open to the public.
