Local artist goes viral with wooden replicas of football stadiums

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Even though the Super Bowl was in California, one Savannah artist is helping the big game feel a little closer to home but on a much smaller scale.

What started as a pandemic hobby quickly took off for local artist Dana Theobald.

Her wooden stadiums now reach more than 70,000 followers on TikTok.

And on this Super Bowl Sunday, she’s using her art to bring SoFi Stadium right here to Savannah.

It’s a process that can take weeks, but one that Savannah artist Dana Theobald says helps her feel connected to her past.

“I grew up playing sports pretty competitively and I would say it consumed almost all of my childhood,” said creator Dana Theobald.

She’s garnered a lot of attention recently, making miniature, wooden replicas of famous football stadiums.

It all started as a hobby when she found herself with a lot more free time during the start of the pandemic.

“That’s when I bought a printer, just to find a hobby during lock down and it just sort of took off from there,” said Theobald.

Using her computer, Theobald digitally maps every detail of the stadium she’s replicating even down to the number of seats.

Then it’s off to the printer, where a giant, commercial grade machine carves each detail that makes the stadium unique.

And finally she glues each piece, putting together the finishing touches.

Theobald says she expected the process to be tedious, but what she didn’t expect was the reaction she would get online.

“I posted one TikTok of the art I was making and it sort of randomly one night just went viral and then the rest was history,” said Theobald.

She’s gained close to 80,000 TikTok and Instagram followers combined, with some posts getting millions of views.

“It was kind of surreal. I can’t even imagine that many people seeing something I made,” said Theobald.

And in honor of the big game, she decided to give away this replica of SoFi Stadium, home of Super Bowl 56.

“Originally, I just wanted to do it as a way to say thank you for 10,000 followers that I had when I first started the giveaway a couple months ago,” said Theobald.

But she soon realized her creations had a deeper meaning to many die hard football fans.

“So many people were reaching out to me saying that they wanted a piece of SoFi Stadium because they waited forever for their team to get to the Super Bowl and how special this moment is for them,” said Theobald.

But now her creations are helping her and others stay connected to their passion for sports.

“I’ve realized so many people have a connection to sports and memories that they’ve had at these stadiums or the connection they’ve had to a team,” said Theobald.

Helping to bring the home field right into your home and working right out of her downtown Savannah apartment.