TUSCALOOSA, Ala. The City of Tuscaloosa has been awarded a $40,000 Creative Places Arts Facilities grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts to support construction of the Chief Tuskaloosa Plaza, a public space honoring the city’s namesake.
The plaza is a collaborative project involving the City of Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, The University of Alabama, Visit Tuscaloosa and the Alabama Tourism Department.
Developed in cooperation with the Chickasaw Nation and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the plaza will feature a 24-foot-tall bronze statue of Chief Tuskaloosa created by nationally recognized sculptor Caleb O’Connor.
The public space will be located on Greensboro Avenue between the Embassy Suites and Homewood Suites hotels in downtown Tuscaloosa.
City officials said the plaza will include educational storyboards highlighting the life and leadership of Chief Tuskaloosa, as well as the lasting contributions of Indigenous peoples to the region.
The Alabama State Council on the Arts’ Creative Places Arts Facilities program provides funding for the construction, renovation, restoration and enhancement of facilities that offer public arts programming and educational opportunities. The grant program is funded through an appropriation from the Alabama Legislature.
In addition to the state grant, the Chief Tuskaloosa Plaza project is being funded through fundraising efforts led by the 2025-2026 Leadership Tuscaloosa class of the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce, along with private donations.
Construction timelines for the plaza have not yet been announced.
About Alabama State Council on the Arts
Alabama State Council on the Arts is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts in Alabama. The Council on the Arts works to expand and preserve the state’s cultural resources by supporting nonprofit arts organizations, schools, colleges, units of local government, and individual artists. Arts programs, assisted by Council grants, have a track record of enhancing community development, education, cultural tourism, and overall quality of life in all regions of the state. Alabama State Council on the Arts grants are made possible by an annual appropriation from the Alabama Legislature and additional funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.