• by Teresa Buyikian , March 3, 2025

South by Southwest (SXSW) attendees are in for tasty in-real-life art pop-up this year during the festival Mar. 8-9.

This week Whataburger announced the launch of the Whataburger Museum of Art (WMOA), a pop-up art gallery experience in downtown Austin featuring Whataburger-inspired fan art, previously only viewable online.  The SXSW WMOA will be located at the Wanderlust Wine Co. in Austin.

WMOA originally began as an online community, where fans posted original Whataburger-themed works of art like paintings, sculptures and digital designs to their Instagram accounts.

Created by agency McGarrah Jessee, the virtual museum launched during the pandemic, when plans for an actual physical location for the fan art were put on hold.

“The creativity of our fans never ceases to amaze us,” said Whataburger President and CEO Debbie Stroud in a release. “From illustrators and muralists to digital creators, these artists have transformed their love for Whataburger into incredible works of art.”

In addition to more than 200 pieces of original fan artwork on display in the WMOA collection, the museum also integrates more interactive exhibits, such as the Whataburger Day Dot Room. The brand describes the experience as “a stark white restaurant interior that encourages guests to cover it in colorful Whataburger ‘Day Dot’ stickers.”

Another experience is The Table Tent Mugshot Wall, where attendees can take a photo, as well as receive a limited edition Whataburger 75th Anniversary + SXSW 2025 Table Tent, which will only be available at WMOA.

WMOA, to be located at the Wanderlust Wine Co. in Austin, will be open from 11 A.M. to 6 P.M. Mar. 8-9. On Mar. 8 visitors can also try the brand’s new Monterey Melt sandwich, courtesy of a Whataburger Food Truck.