A large-scale collage honoring U.S. men's national team soccer player Weston McKennie is set to be installed in Little Elm, Texas, which is located approximately 7 miles west of Frisco. The artwork, created by nationally recognized artist Michael Mapes in collaboration with Chobani, will soon be displayed at Tinman Social, located at 199 Main St. The installation coincides with the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mapes developed the portrait using a technique he describes as "biographical DNA." This method incorporates personal photographs, documents, and found objects to represent McKennie's unique path. The piece includes deconstructed football jerseys, a soccer ball, video stills, goal netting, cleats, and autographs. Mapes stated that these elements serve as evidence of the player's journey to his current status.
The project originated from Chobani's "Feed the Dream" campaign. The company identified a creative alignment between Mapes' artistic approach and the campaign's theme. Chobani approached Mapes to create artwork for three U.S. national team players: McKennie, Christian Pulisic, and Antonee Robinson. Mapes said the goal was to create portraits that express the depth of the individuals beyond their roles as athletes.
"Reinforcing the campaign theme, the artwork supports the concept that no athlete achieves this level of greatness alone," Mapes said. He explained that connecting individual elements to form a singular portrait serves as a metaphor for how players contribute to a team and individuals to a community. The artist aimed to depict McKennie as a collection of experiences, from his youth to his current career.
Before starting the project, Mapes noted he was familiar with soccer culture but knew little about the specific players. He described learning about them through hundreds of photographs, interviews, videos, and conversations with friends and family as a moving experience. Mapes highlighted that while McKennie's family moved during his early years, Little Elm is where he put down roots and developed a deep passion for the game.
