Culture & Arts

Local Artist Transforms Shipping Containers into Outdoor Galleries

An Oakville-based visual artist is gaining attention for converting discarded shipping containers into walk-in art installations that celebrate local heritage and environmental themes.

By Ethan Morgan | 2025-09-09 17:04

In a creative twist on urban reuse, Oakville-based artist Maya Sandhu is turning discarded shipping containers into vibrant outdoor galleries. Her installations, currently on display near Kerr Street, repurpose industrial waste into bold, immersive art spaces that celebrate local history and social themes.

Each container is a curated experience. One features large-scale portraits of local elders, their faces etched in acrylic against a sea of recycled glass. Another invites visitors inside, where a kaleidoscope of light and texture is projected onto the corrugated steel, narrating stories of migration and community building.

“The idea was born during lockdown,” Sandhu explains. “I kept seeing these containers sitting idle at the port. I thought, what if we gave them a new function — a platform for storytelling?” With funding from a municipal arts grant and help from student volunteers, the project began taking shape.

Passersby have been stopping in growing numbers, some curious, others visibly moved. “It gave me goosebumps,” said Jamal Grant, an Oakville teacher who brought his students to the site. “Art that lives outside gallery walls reaches people differently. It’s more democratic, more immediate.”

The initiative also underscores Oakville’s growing commitment to public art. Town council recently passed a motion to increase funding for community-driven installations, citing Sandhu’s work as a “model for participatory urban renewal.” Local businesses have begun donating materials, while others have offered wall space and storage.

Still, challenges persist. Weatherproofing remains a concern, especially as Ontario’s winter approaches. Sandhu is collaborating with engineers to develop modular heating and sealing techniques that won’t compromise the artistic vision. “It’s a balancing act,” she says, “between form and function, permanence and impermanence.”

As the sun sets on another weekend showcase, the containers seem to glow with their own quiet pride. For Sandhu, the goal is simple: “If just one person walks away seeing Oakville — or themselves — a little differently, it’s worth every drop of paint and every sleepless night.”