The City of Tuscaloosa has received a $40,000 state arts grant to support the development of the Chief Tuskaloosa Plaza, a public space honoring the namesake of the city and one of the region’s most significant historical figures.
Project Details
The grant comes through the Alabama State Council on the Arts’ Creative Places Arts Facilities program, which funds construction, renovation and enhancement of facilities where the public can participate in arts programming and educational activities.
The plaza, planned for Greensboro Avenue between Embassy Suites and Homewood Suites, will feature a 24-foot-tall bronze statue of Chief Tuskaloosa created by nationally renowned artist Caleb O’Connor, along with educational storyboards highlighting the chief’s life, leadership and the enduring contributions of Indigenous peoples to the region.
Both the city and the river the statue will overlook are named in honor of the chief, whose name translates as Black Warrior.
The project is a collaborative effort between the City of Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, the University of Alabama, Visit Tuscaloosa and the Alabama Tourism Department, and has been planned in cooperation with the Chickasaw Nation and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
Additional funding has come from fundraising by the 2025-26 Leadership Tuscaloosa class of the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce and private donations.
Original reporting: The Tuscaloosa Thread — read the source article.
