Local artist Broderick Flanigan poses in front of the Hot Corner Legacy Mural in Downtown Athens. Flanigan worked alongside Miami artist Elio Mercado to create the mural this past summer. “The significance of the mural kind of shows what Hot Corner is, and it was this booming African American business entrepreneurial center in the heart of Downtown Athens,” Flanigan said. Photo by Luna Reichert
Local Athens artist Broderick Flanigan and Miami artist Elio Mercado were selected by the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission to paint a mural recognizing Black businesses on Hot Corner in Downtown Athens.
The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to fund the creation of the Hot Corner Legacy Mural, a cultural project located in Downtown Athens.
The mural is located near Hot Corner, an African-American business district that has existed since the early 1950s. Local Athens artist Broderick Flanigan believed this was a prominent location for the creation of the mural due to its historical significance.
“The mural shows what Hot Corner is, and (it) was this booming African American business (and) entrepreneurial center in the heart of Downtown Athens.”
— Broderick Flanigan,
Local Athens artist
“The mural shows what Hot Corner is, and (it) was this booming African American business (and) entrepreneurial center in the heart of Downtown Athens,” Flanigan said. “It had doctor’s offices, it had business professionals, it had barbers, it had restaurants, different stores, insurance companies, cab companies. You name it, you can pretty much get it on Hot Corner.”
According to Flanigan, his involvement with the mural commenced when he was approached by ACAC to be a community liaison.
“They reached out to me to kind of get some ideas or to get some contacts to add to their grant proposal. They were telling me that I should apply for the lead artist role,” Flanigan said.
According to the ACAC website, out of the 45 submissions they received, local Miami artist Elio Mercado was selected as the lead artist because of his expertise in mural designs. According to Flanigan, Mercado created an outline of the mural and the ACAC made a few changes to it.
“We ended up leaving the design pretty much as Elio had it initially, so we didn’t make too many changes. We might have made some minor changes, like once we started painting we saw that, in a certain design, elements weren’t working, and we kind of made slight adjustments in that manner,” Flanigan said.
During the process, the location of the mural was changed from the historically significant Morton Theatre building to the corner of Lumpkin and Washington street due to legal complications. Despite the circumstances, Flanigan believes the mural still serves its purpose.
“The (initial) parking lot owner where we were going to put the mural at first didn’t want us to access the parking lot for whatever reason. We had to pick another location, and the next closest location that the city already had ownership over was the Costa building which is next to City Hall,” Flanigan said. “I think (the mural) turned out just as well or even a little bit better because the mural now is a little bit bigger.”
The Hot Corner Legacy Mural, located in Downtown Athens, features an artistic depiction of Black culture in Athens. Local artist Broderick Flanigan, along with other local artists, worked with Miami-based street artist Elio Mercado to create the Hot Corner mural. “(Mercado) painted a good portion of it, and I painted a good portion of it as well. It was an interesting process,” Flanigan said. Photo by Luna Reichert
The Legacy Mural was scheduled to be unveiled during the annual Hot Corner Festival on June 8th, but was officially debuted to the public on Aug. 21. Owner of His and Her Styling Shop Homer Wilson, founded the annual festival in 2000 and is featured in the mural.
“The Hot Corner Festival that happens every summer in June is kind of like in memory of that space and that area for the African American entrepreneurship,” Flanigan said. “The mural speaks to all of that and (more). It’s like a constant reminder of the legacy that once was the height of Hot Corner. It was a thriving Black business district.”
According to Clarke Central High School In-school Suspension Coordinator and Black Culture Club Facilitator Paul Rambeau, the mural was a needed addition to the Athens community.
“That mural showed not only the beauties of the Black culture around Athens, but it also spotlighted the local Black businesses that have been around for a minute.”
— Paul Rambeau,
Clarke Central High School In-school Suspension Coordinator and Black Culture Club Facilitator
“It was definitely needed (because) in Athens, the Black culture isn’t exactly portrayed in the best light,” Rambeau said. “That mural showed not only the beauties of the Black culture around Athens, but it also spotlighted the local Black businesses that have been around for a minute.”
Rambeau also believes that murals highlighting the African-American culture are changing today’s outlook on society.
“These (murals) are showing a different message to everything: that (there’s) more than just Black people doing whatever and showing up in the news. It’s more than that, it’s a message that you can put up something beautiful that not only will repaint a wall, but it will repaint the outlook on the community of the African American culture,” Rambeau said.
CCHS junior Angelo Fernandez believes that an understanding of the mural’s significance has the potential to build bridges in the community.
“Not many people like to study history, so if people got to understand the background of African Americans, (the knowledge) could really bring us together in society,” Fernandez said.
Through his creation of the mural, Flanigan hopes to acknowledge the history of African American culture in Athens now and for the future.
“I’m hoping the mural just has a lasting effect and serves as a reminder to everybody in Athens about the drought in the Black business district that we had here, as well as just paying homage to that history,” Flanigan said. “(I want) for the Black community to feel like they are a part of the community and that they’re represented.”
Story by Tecoya Richardson
Package by Ireland McCage
