North Texas is preparing to welcome hundreds of thousands of soccer fans for the FIFA World Cup this summer. The University of Texas at Arlington is nestled in the heart of all the action and is inviting fans from across the globe to a unique exhibit at the UTA Libraries Special Collections.
"Atlas of Champions" is a collection of more than 48 maps, each representing a country competing in the tournament, along with several additional maps highlighting key group-stage matchups.
The exhibit features more than 500 years of cartographic history. The oldest map dates to 1513 and depicts Spain, while the newest map on display is from 2022 and of Qatar.
"We wanted the exhibit to represent all the different styles of maps, as well as time periods and cartographic traditions," said Evan Spencer, outreach and instruction archivist and curator of the exhibit. "We felt it was the best way to show off the breadth of maps we have here in Special Collections."
In addition to the maps, Spencer gathered photos and memorabilia from the 1994 World Cup from the archives. Guests can view photos taken by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram during matches at the Cotton Bowl, along with a range of items from that tournament.
Spencer has been curating this exhibit for more than a year. He wanted to find the best way to connect the offerings of the UTA Libraries Special Collections to one of the world's largest sporting events coming to Arlington.
"One of our big goals at Special Collections has been to connect our archives to all these big events happening around us," Spencer said. "We don't have the largest soccer archives, but we do have this amazing and massive map collection that we feel can capture people's interest in a unique way."
In addition to the exhibit at UTA Libraries, a smaller map collection is on display at the Arlington Museum of Art, the "More Than a Match: Art of the Game" exhibit.
The museum collection features the eight countries playing in the five group-stage matches in Arlington, along with maps representing the tournament's three host countries: the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
"We're thrilled to be able to be a part of this whole experience and welcome everybody to our exhibits both here in Special Collections and at the Arlington Museum of Art," Spencer said.
Both exhibits are on display now and open to the public. The UTA Libraries Special Collections is free and open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the sixth floor of the Central Library.
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation's top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 300,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.
