Her new Carrboro art gallery, "Peel," ties her love for orange peels with her desire to offer a space for art education, photo printing and event hosting.
Metivier graduated with a studio art MFA from UNC in 2018. Peel is Metivier’s second venture, and she hopes to continue the work she started with her previous gallery, "Aviary," in Boston.
“When I was 25, I opened an art gallery, and at 35, I’m about to open another one,” Metivier said. “‘This is just crazy enough to work,’ and ‘It’ll work out because it has to’ are two thoughts I often have.”
The name “Peel” was inspired by Metivier’s affinity for orange peels, which often appear in her art.
Objects are on display at the Peel Gallery. located on W.Rosemary Street in Carrboro.
Ron Liberti, a Chapel Hill artist, musician and friend of Metivier, went to the exhibit's COVID-19-safe opening on March 5 with a bag of oranges to celebrate.
“Ever since I've known (Lindsay), she’s had all these orange peels in her car, like in the dashboard," Liberti said. "And it’s weird, but cool, and her car smells kinda nice.”
The space Metivier created at "Peel" was inspired by the art she’s been making for years — a representation of the passage of time.
“The peels that I collect are aged by moisture and air, bleached by sunlight — they’re almost cameraless photographs themselves, and documenting them has taken on a life of its own,” Metivier said. “Maybe part of me wanted an excuse to fill the gallery with dried peels that are spilling out of my studio and apartment, but I also see 'Peel' as a multi-layered art space. It’s all accumulation – the accretion of layers, images, textures, moments and memories.”
As "Peel"’s small press director, Max Huffman is curating a selection of art zines and comics for sale from around the world. Huffman is excited about the possibilities for "Peel," as he feels that Carrboro needs more spaces for the creation and enjoyment of art.
“I've lived here my whole life and watched Chapel Hill and Carrboro slide further and further towards a homogenized network of mixed-use condominiums while small businesses and the arts disappear,” Huffman said. “It's extraordinarily heartening to witness a new outpost pushing back against that, let alone be a part of it.”
"Peel" offers a curated selection of local art, photography, jewelry, books, comics and zines, in addition to gallery displays. According to its website, after gallery hours, "Peel" will host workshops, lectures, concerts, film screenings and music performances.
“This stuff can be hard to get your hands on unless you live in a major city or travel to festivals, so I'm thrilled by the opportunity to expose Carrboro to these amazing artists,” Huffman said. “Lindsay has put a truly incredible amount of work into the building.”
Metivier is excited about post-COVID-19 outdoor programming and future collaborations. With the variety of spaces "Peel" can provide, Metivier hopes to allow all types of artists to join in.
“Rather than presuming who our audience will be and steering all our efforts in their direction, possibly to the exclusion of others, we’re starting with a model and scale that allows for different points of entry,” Metivier said.
With the diverse range of opportunities that "Peel" brings, Metivier hopes it will foster unique experiences and organic connections and become a safe space for all Carrboro artists.
“I think it'll be a nice little hub for creative types and everybody who really wants to come to kind of hang out,” Liberti said. “The location is just so prime.”
