Tampa Fresh Foods opened Jan. 20 and runs until Feb. 20.
Courtesy of Sofía García Vargas | The Crow’s Nest
By Sofía García Vargas
The colorful and vibrant Tampa Fresh Foods adds an immersive experience to the art scene in Tampa Bay with a felt-made grocery store.
Created by British artist Lucy Sparrow and her team, the concept of the installation is to showcase typical items of grocery stores, even some native to Tampa Bay.
With over 50,000 individual felt products, the artwork took over two years to assemble — delayed due to the pandemic — and almost two weeks to install at the Water Street location near Sparkman Wharf.
Products range from produce, steak and seafood to candy, liquor, beauty and health items, and even a buffet-style area.
Additionally, it has a separate enclosed room for a cigar display that includes some Tampa-native cigar companies.
The plush products look like exact replicas of real items and everything on display is for sale, even the signs on the walls, which are also made of felt. Prices range from $10 to over $100.
The City of Tampa, the Vinik Family Foundation and the non-profit Art Production Fund collaborated with Sparrow to curate the experience.
The 35-year-old is known for her use of felt to create innovative items unique to her style, as well as her continuous involvement in her projects. At the Tampa Fresh Foods location, Sparrow can be seen active around the store, making sure everything is stocked and ready for guests to enjoy.
Sparrow has had exhibits all around the world, predominantly in London and New York City and according to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, designed and produced installations regarding controversial topics like mental health and gun control.
In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Sparrow expressed her satisfaction with how her project turned out.
“You always hope it’s going to be as good as it looks in your brain, but when it actually comes and is finished, you’ll finally go, yes, it worked out,” Sparrow said.
Tampa Fresh Foods, located at 1050 Water St., is free to attend daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Feb. 20, but wait lines are expected as the space has limited indoor capacity. If unable to attend the exhibit, Sparrow’s creations are also available for sale on her website at sewyoursoul.co.uk.
