The Beginning of Convenience

This July, Lucy Sparrow makes her US museum debut with The Beginning of Convenience – a fully immersive, hand-crafted felt installation spanning three galleries at The Momentary museum. Appropriately located in Bentonville, Arkansas – the hometown of Walmart – the exhibition explores the golden age of American retail from 1975-1995.

Lucy’s most ambitious work to date, The Beginning of Convenience transforms The Momentary into a meticulously hand-crafted felt supermarket spanning 400 square feet, and featuring over 20,000 individual artworks. Inspired by US supermarkets from 1975-1995, the installation reflects an era that defined convenience culture, when the rise of dual-income households led to a demand for speed, efficiency, and the emergence of instant dining that reshaped both consumer habits and everyday life in the home.

The Beginning of Convenience is a nostalgic time capsule from the late twentieth century, curated with era-defining touches; from the audio-visual department stocked with felted versions of the period’s best-selling VHS and vinyl, to the quintessential late-century snack bar and the obligatory iconic Kodak photo centre.

A second gallery will feature a 30-minute behind-the-scenes documentary alongside a collection of vintage television advertisements, all produced by Lucy. The third gallery houses a recreation of Lucy’s UK studio – the Felt Cave – complete with a banana filled room dedicated to the artist’s long-time companion and emotional support banana Sebastian.

On her US museum debut Lucy comments:

‘It is an honour to present The Beginning of Convenience at The Momentary as my debut museum exhibition in the United States. This exhibit is particularly meaningful, coming as I celebrate a decade of showing my work in America. I am especially pleased that the exhibition will be free to visit and open for a year, allowing a broad audience to visit and engage with my largest  immersive installation to date’.