0
JA

Art & Culture > Gallery

Lucy Sparrow FELTZ BAGELS, a bagel store using felt

Lucy Sparrow in New York

View on Map
lucy-sparrow-feltz-bagels-08

LUCY SPARROW

FELTZ BAGELS
Oct 03 –Oct 31, 2023

A BAGEL BAKERY MADE ENTIRELY FROM FELT

Internationally acclaimed artist Lucy Sparrow first brought her felted world to New York Cityin June 2017 with her felt ‘faux-dega’ 8 Till Late – a fully stocked convenience store filled with9,000 handmade artworks. This October, Lucy returns to Manhattan with Feltz Bagels, anartistic homage to the city’s legendary culinary delicacy and the neighbourhood bagel jointsof the Lower East Side that made them famous.Opening on 3 October, in association with TW Fine Art, Lucy will transform an emptystorefront on the Lower East Side into a fully immersive Bagel Bakery where visitors can buytheir favourite lunch order handmade in felt and served personally by Sparrow herself. FeltzBagels will offer thirteen varieties of bagel - each hand-sewn and available filled or plain witha sewn selection of NY staples; choose from a poppyseed bagel with a schmear, a colourfulrainbow salt-beef bagel or the everything bagel filled with pastrami and pickles.
On Feltz Bagels Sparrow says: “My work is always focused on community experiences and the amazing everyday products that bring us all together. There really is no greater example of this than the traditional bagel bakeries of the Lower East Side of New York that have been nourishing much more than the stomachs of the city’s residents since the late 19th century. I am so very excited to return once more to New York City and share the Feltz Bagels experience with the local community!” Founder of TW Fine Art, Mike de Paola comments: “We are absolutely delighted to continue our collaboration with Lucy and open Feltz Bagels in such an authentic location in Manhattan this Fall. Lucy’s playful hand-made works invoke a sense of nostalgia and magic, bringing joy to those that become a part of her felt world building.”

Interview: Lucy Sparrow

1. How did you start your career? Why did you decide to work with felt?

My first solo show was Cornershop in London in August 2014. 
I work with felt as it has such a wide palette of colours and allows me to create the extensive range of items I need for each store - in Feltz Bagels I have over 30,000 individual items from bagels, to candy and so I need lots of choice!  I created my first artwork in felt at the age of 6 so I have over thirty years experience working with it!

2. Your 2017 exhibit "8 Till Late" in New York featured 9,000 felt pieces. How many pieces were on display at Feltz Bagels exhibition? How did you make them and how long did it take?

We have grown considerably since 8 Till Late! The current show has 30,000 individual pieces and took just over 9 months to create.

3. From your exhibit and your work, we can also sense the context of Pop Art, where Andy Warhol exhibits multiple identical pieces such as Campbell's cans and portraits side by side. What is the most important message you want to convey in your work?

The most important element is escapism and a desire for childlike regression. Art has never been more important than it is today. We all need to have some time to focus on positivity.

4. This media is a bilingual site (English and Japanese) to introduce information about New York & Brooklyn. If you were to exhibit in Japan in the future, what kind of exhibit would you like to do?

I’d love to do a Family Mart in Harajuku!

5. Please tell us about your future activities and your next goals.

After we close in New York on 31 October (open daily 11am - 8pm), we will take the show to Scope art fair in Miami from October 5, 2023.

lucy-sparrow-feltz-bagels-02
lucy-sparrow-feltz-bagels-03
lucy-sparrow-feltz-bagels-07
lucy-sparrow-feltz-bagels-06
lucy-sparrow-feltz-bagels-01
lucy-sparrow-feltz-bagels-04
lucy-sparrow-feltz-bagels-05

Related Contents

Art & Culture

Chuck Close's Red, Yellow and Blue: The Last Paintings is now on view at the Pace Gallery in Chelsea

Pace Gallery hold an exhibition of the last paintings of Chuck Close at its 510 West 25th Street gallery in New York from February 23 to April 13, 2024.

Chelsea

  • ©2022 The New Bklyn Times