The Bots on Broad Project
July 2025
You might have heard the electric, robotic buzz already, but the Arts Council is cooking up a new public art project with local artist Leonard “Porkchop” Zimmerman. But where did it all start?
Well, it started with a visit to Greenville, SC.
As I stepped into my new role as Gallery AND Public Art Director, I started noticing more and more public art initiatives in the cities I visited, on social media, and ones here at home. Interesting murals, funky installations, and sculptures all stood out to me. Heck, even how they were installed and the signage they were using. I was taking notes on it all. It was on this Greenville visit that I came across the Mice on Main trail. It’s part sculpture trail, part scavenger hunt. I discovered it organically after noticing one little bronze mouse, then another, then another.
When I got back to work that following Monday, I was toying with the idea of “what would Augusta’s equivalent be?” After spit balling ideas with a co-worker “Bots on Broad” was born. Because, of course, what says Downtown spirit more than Leonard’s “Happy” robot? We see his stickers everywhere already, the Happy Mural outside Tire City is a photo-op destination for many. So, shot in the dark, I reached out to him.
When I tell you I was kicking my feet with joy when he responded “Yes, lets meet!”
This would be my first public art baby to be born as the new Public Art Director, so I was thrilled it would be something working with a local artist whose work I admire. Whoever said “Don’t meet your heroes” had obviously never met Leonard. The first meeting we talked about my idea, which was to do several bronze cast bots installed on Broad Street. After talking with the city to see what that would look like, we were advised to put a pin in the idea until after the Broad Street Construction was finished.
I then started to think “well with all that construction, the local business we have are going to need support now more than ever. What if the Tommy bots were INSIDE windows to help draw people inside while still having the same, scavenger hunt type effect?” Thus, Phase 1 and Phase 2 were born.
We roped in my old Professor Raoul Pacheco at Augusta University and Aaron Cummings at the Garage Makerspace to get some key insights on what a phase 1 of this project would need. I really liked the idea of collaborating with students in the Art Department to help cast the bronze Tommy bots, but Raoul suggested cutting the cost way down by using the Garage as a resource to 3D print the first round of Tommy bots. Phase 1 would be plastic and semi-temporary, phase 2 would be bronze and permanent. That would all depend on funding, of course.
But why do a crowd funded project?
Well, there are lots of reasons. The first being that this project kicked off right as the government was announcing all the super fun budget cuts, included to the National Endowment for the Arts, who helps support projects like these. These type of announcements make us reflect on creative ways to keep the art party going. After talking it over with the team, we thought we’d give crowd funding a try, since this project wasn’t going to require as much as the others we have in the pipeline. Plus, crowd funding
gives local arts lovers an opportunity to feel a personal connection to the project. They are putting their own money down to make something positive and fun happen for the whole community. They are supporting local businesses and artists. They are going to be the first ones lined up to get their passport and go find all the Tommy bots hidden in windows along Broad Street when it’s all finished. We can’t be more thrilled about what they are doing to help support this project. Every dollar brings us closer to putting a little happiness out there in such a rough time.
While I work on the money part, Leonard gets to challenging (yet fun) job of working on what the Tommy bots will look like. One special thing about working in the arts, you always have a friend, or a friend of a friend who is willing to help you figure the logistics out. In order to 3D print Tommy, Leonard is having to learn 3d modeling on new programs, use new tools like 3d scanners, and work with new materials to model Tommy. Aaron Cummings with the Garage has been super helpful in the tech side of things, and Westobou’s Artist in Residence Genevieve Lucas has been incredibly helpful to Leonard as he try to make Tommy feel real. If you know Genevieve, you know she is a wizard. She can build you a fence and then make plant based photo sensitive dye from scratch to create an eco style photograph. She dabbles in a little of everything. I can’t wait to see her show in Westobou.
So far, we are almost at the halfway point in our fundraiser. I’m working on finding sponsors or private donors to fill the gap, but everyone involved in this project is incredibly dedicated to making it happen. Where there is a will, there is a way, right?
If you want to help contribute to making Bots on Broad a reality, consider donating at https://augustaarts.info/Donate-Bots-On-Broad . Every dime counts! If you want to sponsor the project, email me at heather@augustaarts.com . Sponsors at the $500.00 level get some perks, including their own 4-inch tall mini-Tommy.