Just Right Self Storage served as host venue for a two-day art show last weekend at its facility in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The show was the first produced by local group artspace613, which seeks to promote art in unusual places in the city. The event used unrented storage units to feature the works of local artists working in a range of media. It also showcased pieces by deceased sculptor Eleanor Milne, a renowned artist whose work is featured in carvings on the ceiling of the House of Commons, according to the source.

Milne’s work wasn’t originally supposed to be part of the event, but as organizers were setting up the art spaces, a tenant happened to bring a piece of her artwork to his unit. When the show producers inquired if he was part of the show and he said he wasn’t, they learned he was Milne’s nephew, and he agreed to include some of her work as part of the event, the source reported.

Milne died in 2014 at age 89 after a long, distinguished career. She was the first woman appointed Dominion Sculptor of Canada and became the first female named as the nation’s national stone carver in 1962. In addition to the ceiling carvings, the government commissioned 12 stained-glass windows depicting what was then Canada’s 10 provinces and two territories. The pieces displayed by her nephew during the “pop-up show” were more personal in nature, according to the source.

Another artist featured during the event was Charlynne Lafontaine, founder of Loretta Studios and Gallery in Ottawa. Lafontaine constructed a “glass fur coat” during the show through a method called flameworking in which she used a torch to melt glass. Each strand of fur for the coat was individually handcrafted.

Other art displays ranged from paintings to mixed media using gummy bears.

Just Right Self Storage comprises more than 1,100 units at 255 City Centre Ave. The business features a sheltered drive-through lane and video cameras. It also offers the free use of a moving truck for customers and sells a full supply of moving and packing supplies.

Sources: