Tuscaloosa Awarded $40K Grant For Chief Tuskaloosa Plaza Project

TUSCALOOSA, AL — 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 development of the Chief Tuskaloosa Plaza.

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The grant will help fund construction of the plaza, which is planned for Greensboro Avenue between Embassy Suites and Homewood Suites.

The Chief Tuskaloosa Plaza is a collaborative effort involving the City of Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, the University of Alabama, Visit Tuscaloosa and the Alabama Tourism Department.

The project is being developed in cooperation with the Chickasaw Nation and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

It will feature a 24-foot bronze statue of Chief Tuskaloosa created by nationally recognized artist Caleb O'Connor.

Educational storyboards throughout the plaza will highlight the life and leadership of Chief Tuskaloosa while recognizing the lasting contributions of indigenous peoples to the region.

The Creative Places Arts Facilities program provides grants for the construction, renovation, restoration and enhancement of facilities where the public can participate in arts programming and educational activities.

The program is funded through an appropriation from the Alabama Legislature.

In addition to the state grant, the plaza is being funded through fundraising efforts by the 2025-2026 Leadership Tuscaloosa class of the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce and private donations.

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