A convenience store made entirely out of felt is coming to St. Pete
/An all-felt art exhibit by British artist Lucy Sparrow is coming to St. Pete | Lucy Sparrow
A new convenience store is opening soon in St. Pete, but you won’t find any real snacks inside.
Instead, every chip bag, soda can, and even the checkout counter itself will be made entirely out of felt.
The whimsical installation by British artist Lucy Sparrow is the latest immersive experience coming to FloridaRAMA, located at 2606 Fairfield Avenue South in the Warehouse Arts District.
FloridaRAMA, which opened as Fairgrounds in 2021, centers on immersive, participatory art that celebrates Florida’s eccentric character through the work of more than 80 artists, many of them local.
The new exhibit, called Quick Shop, will open Friday, November 21st, replacing FloridaRAMA’s previous Shrimpfinity exhibit.
Lucy Sparrow, creator of the new all-felt exhibit at FloridaRAMA in St. Petersburg | Tiffany Sage, BFA.com
“Lucy’s work is such a natural fit for us. Her aesthetic and ethos really match ours,” said FloridaRAMA CEO Liz Dimmitt in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We’re excited to be launching it right in time for the holidays. It’s perfect for holiday shopping or a fun family outing.”
Occupying a 700-square-foot space, the shop will feature more than 13,000 handmade felt items arranged to resemble a classic Florida convenience store, stocked with everything from citrus fruit and beach supplies to household staples and novelty items.
“The Quick Shop is really that sort of everything store,” Dimmitt said. “That place in a tourist area where you could get a little bit of everything that we would have in Florida. Anything from fruit and veg to food to health and beauty—we’re even going to have a little adults-only section.”
Visitors will enter a fully felted space complete with shelves, signage, a checkout lane, and even a felt cash register.
Lucy Sparrow’s Tampa Fresh Foods exhibit in 2022 | Lucy Sparrow
Guests can pick up a shopping basket, browse the aisles, and “check out” just as they would in a real store.
Every piece is available for purchase, with prices beginning at around $20 and ranging into the hundreds for larger, one-of-a-kind works.
Dimmitt noted that Sparrow’s art democratizes collecting.
“What makes it interesting is the felt pieces are at a price point that anyone can be a collector and own art by an internationally recognized artist,” she said. “People might collect it and not realize they’re collecting art.”
The installation will run for five months, or until inventory runs out, and is included with general admission to FloridaRAMA.
Each item is handmade by Lucy and her team in England | Lucy Sparrow
FloridaRAMA is also hosting special “Shop with Lucy” hours, when visitors can meet the artist in person on November 25th, 26th, and 28th.
There will also be limited-edition merchandise drops during the exhibition’s run, which will be announced on FloridaRAMA’s social media channels.
The Quick Shop installation will follow FloridaRAMA’s regular hours, open from 12 to 8 PM on Monday, Thursday, and Friday, 10 AM to 8 PM on Saturday and Sunday, and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
