On Tuesday, June 21, 2022, the Norfolk campus of Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) held an unveiling of an original mural, painted by local artist John Hickey. John Hickey is a Norfolk native dedicated to creating murals around Hampton Roads, but primarily focuses on the City of Norfolk. John’s work is admired all around the Hampton Roads region in places like the Neon District, a local pharmacy, and Yorgo’s Bageldashery. The mural was donated, in part, by ForKids, designed and painted by John Hickey, and serves to highlight key parts of the Norfolk community. ForKids is an organization dedicated to lifting local families out of poverty. The U.S. Navy, City of Norfolk, and the aviation maintenance industry all played a role in the inspiration for the piece. Because the United States Navy has the largest installation in the world based out of this region, it largely contributes to the diversity found here.
The mural serves as an inspiration, and to some extent a story, to encourage people from all walks of life to pursue anything from serving the United States through military service, to completing aviation maintenance training at AIM. However, what isn’t shown on the mural is how it came to be. It began with John Hickey donating a mural to ForKids for a fundraising auction. Mr. Hickey wanted to give back to his community, help those in need, and be a part of something bigger than himself. In turn, Dr. Joel English won the mural auction, and had the same vision of contributing to a community that is abundant in opportunity. In turn, the team at AIM Norfolk developed this vision into a masterpiece.
The event was attended by Dr. Kenneth Alexander, the Chancellor of Aviation Institute of Maintenance and Mayor of Norfolk, Dr. Joel English, the Executive Vice President of AIM, Norfolk City Councilwoman Andria McClellan, ForKids, Mark Perryman, Executive Director of Norfolk Airport Authority, and a host of other individuals with a shared passion for the Norfolk region. Attendees enjoyed bagel sandwiches from Yorgo’s Bageldashery and ice cream cones from Doumar’s. The mural also featured the Norfolk downtown cityscape to include the iconic Waterside District as well as other signature buildings like Dominion Tower.
