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…