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Public Art For Downtown Tampa Honors Seminoles

Florida state archives

Bob Haozous' 2-ton, stainless steel artwork will call attention to the fate of the Seminoles, depicted in this drawing.

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TBO.com

Published: March 25, 2009

TAMPA - New Mexico artist Bob Haozous will spend the next day or so assembling his 2-ton artwork that's part of an expansion of Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park in downtown Tampa.

The artwork, called "Ceremonial Space," was commissioned in 2003 when the park's expansion was dedicated. Two tons of stainless steel went into the art.

The artwork is a dedication to the people who lived in the area before whites arrived and is intended to bring attention to events of the Seminole Wars.

Robin Nigh, city arts program manager, said the park is at the site where about 3,000 Seminoles were loaded onto boats that took them to New Orleans on their way to Oklahoma.

Cotanchobee means "where water meets the land" or "long shoreline," she said.

The Seminole Tribe paid $250,000 toward the park expansion and memorial, and the city match of the money included the price of the artwork. The artwork and memorial blend into a seamless display, Nigh said.

Haozous a member of the Warm Springs/Chiricahua Apache tribe.

The park is at 601 Old Water St. near the site of Fort Brooke.

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