Whataburger Museum of Art Shares Whataburger Fan Art on Instagram | Eater Austin

"A digital, museum-style Instagram gallery run by a Texas fast-food chain in partnership with Austin agency McGarrah Jessee, this feed curates polished fan art and commissioned works that lean into the brand’s iconic orange-and-white aesthetic and deep regional nostalgia. Contributions span painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, wearable art and more — from a Max Guarnaccia oil still life of a branded paper bag rendered with museum-quality light and shadow to a Dali-esque melting table tent made with resin and acrylic by Patrick Pardee. The account commissions pieces (notably timed around national heritage months) and spotlights creators — for example, an Atlanta nail artist’s press-on set that riffs on spicy-ketchup-packet imagery and order-sticker motifs, and a fiber-work called Playhouse featuring orange-and-white woven yarn and tassels — while also sharing interview videos that reveal each artist’s process and intent. Launched as a digital alternative after plans for a physical exhibition were derailed by the pandemic (the idea first formed in 2019 and the gallery went live in summer 2021), the project aims both to amplify diverse voices and to channel grassroots brand loyalty into real exposure for makers, with organizers even exploring an eventual in-person manifestation." - Eric Webb