It’s an art project that’s been years in the making, and one local artist is one step closer to fulfilling a longtime dream.
The idea was to put his Happy robot on a water tower, said Leonard Porkchop Zimmerman Jr.
“It’s making a beam of positivity on the Augusta skyline,” he said.
Painting a water tower is not uncommon. Gaffney, S.C. has a one painted like a peach; Katy, Texas has one with a mural of geese; Maricopa, Ariz. has one with a desert scene on it; and there’s one that looks like a watermelon in Luling, Texas.
To paint a water tower; however, there’s more to it than there is to paint a mural on a wall. There’s some restoration of the structure to be done, and not just anyone can get the job done.
Porkchop had given up on the idea. It was bigger than he could tackle on his own.
In order to make this project come to pass, some of Porkchop’s friends, Ted Greenly and Carmen Bindues, created a non-profit called Project Happy Water, and the first fundraiser will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. March 24 at 600 Broad.
Called “High Water,” it’s a curated event with the works of artists such as Staci Swider, Jay Jacobs, Baruti Tucker, April Henry King, Erica Pastecki, Chris Murray and Elizabeth Moretz-Britt.
The art, which ties into the water tower theme, will be auctioned.
The event includes music with Coco Rubio and Matt Porter performing DJ duties, food and some special surprises – including the announcement of where the mural will be installed. There are a few possible area locations.
Tickets are $20 in advance at projecthappywater.com, $25 at the door, and $100 for VIP.
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The Augusta Symphony, in collaboration with the Augusta University Department of Music, presented the Youth Concerto Competition March 6 at the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre. Eleven finalists in grades 5 – 12 from across Georgia and South Carolina performed in the competition on the piano, violin, oboe or bassoon.
The winner in the senior division was Zhengyu “Jerry” Lu, a Lakeside High School sophomore, and Roy Lee, 17, was second. In the junior division, Charlotte Jeong, 12, placed first with Haichen “Harry” Zhou, 13 in second place.
Social Canvas will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Morris Museum of Art. It’s a party at the Morris with live bands, art projects such as painting on a giant group canvas and making seed bombs, and a ceramics demonstration by Mad Potters. The event is free.
About 90 minutes from Augusta, some jazz rising stars will be in Newberry, S.C. at 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 15 at the Newberry Opera House performing “Songs We Love.”
“Under the musical direction of Riley Mulherkar, three guest vocalists will join an all-star band made up of New York’s rising stars. Combining their distinct talents, the group will sing their way through four decades of music, beginning with the early blues and jazz of the 1920s and ending in the early 1950s. Iconic singers to be explored include Ma Rainey, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland,” according to a news release.
Tickets are $80.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the managing editor of The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
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