The Artist Behind Augusta’s Tommy Bots

Leonard “Porkchop” Zimmerman

Augusta artist Leonard "Porkchop" Zimmerman has spent decades transforming everyday spaces into joyful works of art. Known for his colorful murals, imaginative characters, and community-centered creative projects, Zimmerman continues to shape Augusta’s cultural landscape through public art that invites people to smile, explore, and connect.

Early Creativity in Augusta

Growing up in the last house on a quiet dead-end street in Augusta, Georgia, Leonard “Porkchop” Zimmerman and his older sister Charmain learned early how to entertain themselves. His parents, Leonard Sr. and Nona, nurtured his creativity from a young age by encouraging him to draw during church and enrolling him in classes at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art while he was in elementary school.

Zimmerman continued developing his artistic skills at John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. During his senior year, his instructor Rosanne Stutts submitted a photograph he had taken of a mannequin salvaged from a dumpster into a competition. The piece, later nicknamed “the $10,000 Dummy,” earned him a scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design, where he studied graphic design.
 

Becoming “Porkchop”

Adopting the nom-de-brush “Porkchop,” Zimmerman went on to exhibit his work in both group and solo exhibitions throughout the American South. Over the years, his vibrant murals and public art installations have appeared across Augusta, including projects for the Augusta Water Works, the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library Headquarters Branch, and Unisys.

His work has earned recognition throughout the community. In 2010, he was voted Best Local Artist by Augusta Magazine and Metro Spirit.
 

Spreading Happiness Through Art

In 2014, Zimmerman made his public speaking debut with a TEDx talk focused on the theme of happiness. His message later inspired the international award-winning documentary Happy: A Small Film with a Big Smile, released in 2016 and centered around his Happy Campaign.

Zimmerman received the Greater Augusta Arts Council Artist Award in 2017 for his contributions to the local arts community. In 2019, a grant from the Porter Fleming Foundation helped support his vision of painting a massive HAPPY smile on a water tower, a project still awaiting the right logistical opportunity.
 

Public Art That Celebrates Augusta

Zimmerman’s work often celebrates Augusta’s cultural legacy and local identity. In 2019 and 2020, with permission from building owners and assistance from fellow artists, he installed four murals on Ellis Street under cover of night. Three of those murals pay tribute to Augusta’s own James Brown, honoring the city’s musical heritage.

In 2022, Zimmerman was recognized with the Georgia Art Education Association Distinguished Service Outside the Profession Award. Most recently, he received the 2025 Community Spirit Award at Destination Augusta’s State of Tourism event.
 

The Inspiration Behind the Tommy Bots

Beginning in 2024, Zimmerman began quietly crafting something new with the help of the Greater Augusta Arts Council and local partners.

The robots are coming.

Those creations would eventually become the Tommy Bots, playful miniature sculptures hidden throughout Downtown Augusta as part of the Bots on Broad art trail. Designed to encourage exploration, creativity, and discovery, the project invites people to see Augusta through a new lens while engaging with local businesses and the city’s thriving arts community.