Walking down the science department hallway, you may have spotted the new mural painted across the walls outside of Mr. McCormick’s room. Not only was it beautifully crafted but made with beautiful intent to memorialize the omnipresent legacy of Tyson McCormick.
Designed by Greenville artist Matteo Miles, the mural was made entirely of spray paint stencil. The mural was crafted and commissioned over winter break and took about 5 days to complete. Miles made it with the intent of being subjective, a way for the mural to be viewed as the way Mr. McCormick would want you to see it from any personal experiences you may have shared with him. At first glance, the mural shows off a cohesive ecosystem of marine animals, reflecting the love that Mr. McCormick had for the aquatic environment. But upon closer inspection, all of which you see in the mural has a deep meaning in itself. Starting off, the manatee can be seen as a symbol of his presence on the Keys Trip that he took with the freshmen. All that knew Mr. McCormick were aware of his love for the Keys Trip that was taken each year. His favorite activity was taking the students to swim with the manatees. Mrs. Frazier talked with us about her personal experience as a freshman, and how—despite the cold day and even colder wetsuits—-Mr. McCormick made sure that the students went to swim with the manatees. He would not have missed that opportunity for anything else.
You may also note the school of fish surrounding the manatee, coming together in the form of a halo. The fish can be representative of his students, his supporting colleagues, and the overall tight-knit community that we hold at Academic Magnet. Some could say that the dolphin was also representative of Mr. McCormick looking and watching over the school of fish, just as he watched and supported all of his students, regardless of if they were in his classes or not. To the bottom left of the halo, a redfish is swimming. This redfish is the species that Mr. McCormick used to catch while fishing. It displays a personal detail of his life that may not have been widely known. By contrast, included in the mural as a widely known symbol, Mr. McCormick’s infamous pair of dice are painted within the reef. If you ever had Mr. McCormick as a teacher, you would know what happens once these dice are pulled out. Avoiding eye contact or pretending to be drinking your water was no option in his lectures: once the dice were rolled, the table number and student would be chosen to answer his question. Though scary at the time, it is reflective of a core student memory while sitting in his class and crossing your fingers that it would not be you.
After talking to Miss Langley, we learned of a surprising but sweet coincidence that follows the numbers of the die. On the top faces of the dice, there are the numbers 5 and 2, which add to 7. Langley told us that Mr. McCormick’s birthday falls in the 7th month on the 27th day of the year. Whether fate or chance, this was a meaningful detail to the mural.
Perhaps one of the most widespread details of the art piece would be the inclusion of all the coral reefs. However, an important characteristic to observe is that these coral reefs all come from different ecosystems, and they could never exist within the same one. Though subjective, we interpreted this as a representation of all the different places Mr. McCormick has traveled to and the experiences he brought back from them. Traveling—both alone and with his students—was one of his deepest passions. So, we believe that it was an important inclusion to portray through this mural.
It is important to note the care and initiative that our principal Mr. Perlmutter put into the creation and commission of the mural as well as the presentation. Mr. Perlmutter was the one to find this amazing artist, and we are so grateful that he did. Ms Langley comments on his incredible sympathy and capability of being there for others during difficult times. Mr. Perlmutter held an unveiling celebration on the teacher workday, January 5th. Only select faculty members were aware that this mural was being painted, while the rest were completely surprised by the unmasking. Mrs. Frazier even said that a lot of the faculty believed that electrical work was being done in the school as they were told that the doors beside the mural were off limits. As all the teachers and staff were walking down the hallway, there were sheets up to cover the walls. Once they were all gathered, Miles talked about his experience painting the mural and his process in doing so. The walls were unveiled and the beautiful art was seen by all. This was such a moving moment for all those that were present. There was a toast made to Mr. McCormick and the new year ahead, sparkling grape juice, of course. Mr. McCormick’s husband Scott was there and was able to talk about his thoughts and love for the mural. Mrs. Lankford read a heartwarming speech she wrote about one of her close friends, along with Mrs. Grayson, who read a poem for him and his legacy.
Overall, this mural has touched so many hearts of the AMHS family in the same way Mr. McCormick did. First, we want to say an enormous thank you to Matteo Miles; we cannot express how much gratitude we hold for him and his creativity. To Mr. Perlmutter, thank you for the compassion you give to both the faculty and students; the mural you helped create could not better represent and immortalize the life and legacy of Mr. McCormick. To our Academic Magnet family, we hope that you can find your own meaning within this piece of art and hold tight to the memories you shared with our beloved Tyson McCormick.
*Please stay tuned for an article regarding the inspiration and details behind the Raptor Explorer Award dedicated to Mr. McCormick’s legacy.
Link to Matteo Miles’ information: https://www.matteom.com/
