Broderick Flanagan is a painter born and raised in Athens, Ga. His journey has taken him from his childhood in public housing and a youthful aptitude for creating to a degree in kinesiology from Georgia Southern University. An Art Appreciation course and a spiritual awakening rekindled a desire to pursue an art career grounded in a grassroots approach. A commitment to under-served audiences led him to open Flanigan's Portrait Studio on the Eastside of Athens in the "Triangle Plaza" neighborhood.

In 2015 he created an outreach initiative called HARPS (Helping Art Reach Public Spaces). A mural arts program for teens was born, introducing youth to the hands-on entrepreneurial experience of the art-making process. Broderick also fosters cultural inclusion and community engagement with a series of events called First Fridays. Non-profits and community leaders come to inform residents about opportunities to become more engaged citizens.