Sam Zimmerman’s Journey Back to Painting and the Homelands

Leah and Cole chat with artist Sam Zimmerman (Grand Portage). After two decades on the east coast in public education Sam moved back to Minnesota to rededicate himself to his passion for painting and to be closer to his family and community. His artwork explores his Ojibwe heritage, as well as his learnings and experiences in nature after returning to his ancestral homelands. Sam shares about learning language and culture through community collaborations, illustrating books for Native authors, and collaborating with family. He tells Leah and Cole about his path, which began with a college-age passion for painting, and then a love for teaching, and has now come full circle as he returns home.