The faculty and staff at Presbyterian Christian School do more than teach and lead. They are experts in their field of influence or subject matter and find it their mission to do those things under the banner of Christ, Jesus. We consider it our privilege and pleasure to highlight those often unsung heroes!
MEET MR. RICARDO MOODY (Secondary Art)!
What year did you begin teaching at PCS?
I started in 2015 at the secondary school as a part-time teacher but also I also did full-time substituting at the elementary the year before that.
Give us the highlight reel! What are some of the highs and lows that stand out to you of your time with PCS?
A low that stands out for me is when we had shut down the school due to covid-19. It was a challenge to teach art to students online. I had to assign carefully thought-out projects so that any student could participate and create art at home using limited supplies.
A recent highlight was seeing students that I taught in 7th and 8th grade come back to take art in their senior year and then graduate. I also have seen several students go on to minor or major in a creative field involving art directly or indirectly!
How would you describe your teaching style?
It has taken me a few years to develop an articulate curriculum and teaching style (although I think I’ll always be learning and adjusting).
I want students to be excited about art and I want them to enjoy being creative even if they have no interest in pursuing it further than my class. We make creative decisions in various ways on a daily basis. Whether it’s in the clothes or shoes we wear or the music we decide to listen to or how we choose to decorate a room or choose a color for a class project. I’m hoping to draw out some of that creativity that lies within every student. I assign projects that require certain criteria but try to teach in a way that gives freedom to students to make their own creative choices and decisions.
How would you describe what K-12 education may look like through the lens of a biblical worldview from a teachers perspective? What does this pragmatically look like in your classroom?
Art naturally implies The Creator. He’s imparted to us the attribute of creativity because we are made in his image. Looking at art history we are able to look at contrasting world views throughout various art movements. However, art allows students the unique opportunity to do one thing they were created for… “create!”
How would you describe the unique nature of a PCS education from a teacher’s perspective to a family who is considering PCS for their child? What makes PCS different than any other place?
Teachers at PCS genuinely care for students. We are able to pray for them and encourage where we are able and point them to the Lord. We also bring our own working expertise to the classroom that allows us to teach relevant and high level information so that students can excel in learning.
How has the “PCS Family” impacted your life, personally?
I’ve made a few great friends here. Those friends have been so supportive and encouraging… that means a lot in a job that can have its set of challenges sometimes.
Ricardo Moody’s Bio:
Ricardo Moody is a visual artist living in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. When he’s not painting with acrylic on canvas or wood panels he is using outdoor walls and paintbrushes to create inspiring public art. Ricardo is passionate about using bright, contrasting colors as well as representational elements to create impactful subject matter that piggy backs on current conversations within a neighborhood. Ricardo’s passion is to make art that adds beauty to an area of town and contributes to facilitating conversation among the residents of that community.
In addition to creating murals around the SouthEast United States, Ricardo has also created
murals for The Atlanta BeltLine in Atlanta, Georgia in 2018, The Fertile Ground Project in Jackson, Mississippi in 2020, and again for The Atlanta BeltLine in 2021.
Ricardo Moody
ricardomoody.com
art@ricardomoody.com
@reeecardo
vsco @ricardo moodyEducation
Art Institute of Colorado, Graphic Design, 2004
Solo Exhibitions
2019 Inside Spaces – Oddfellows, Hattiesburg, MSSelected Group Exhibitions
2021 Mural, The Atlanta Belt Line, year long exhibition
2018 Mural, The Atlanta Belt Line, year long exhibition
2018 Art for Action Studio Party and Gala – Peridot On The Line and Atlanta BeltLine Partnership
2018 Group Show benefiting UCA in Hattiesburg, MS
2016 The Depot, Exhibition, Hattiesburg, MS
2016 HAC “Everything Paper” Group Show, Hattiesburg, MS
2013 Hattiesburg Arts Council Annual Emerging Artist Exhibition, Group Show
2013 SMAA Watercolor,Pastels, and Sculpture Exhibit, William Carey University, Group Show.
2013 Click Boutique Pop Up Gallery
2011 Group Show, Eclectic and Inclusive Pt. 1, Art Students League of Denver, Denver, Colorado
2011 Group Show, Redemptive Reflections, Marika’s Coffee House, Manitou Springs, Colorado
2011 Colorado Pastel Society Mile High International Exhibition and Sale, Denver, Colorado
2011 Art Student League of Denver Invitation Group ExhibitionMurals
2021 Added to
Carbon Office design team.
2021 Mural for Art on the BeltLine 2020-2021 Exhibition, Atlanta, GA
2020 A series of seven collaborative murals installed. Designed by Carbon Office for Ecoshed, Jackson, MS
2020 Seeds of Change – This mural was completed the 2020 Fertile Ground Mural Series in Jackson, MS
2020 Daydreaming – beautification project for Laurel, MS
2020 Yellow Brick Road “Imagine” – City of Hattiesburg
2020 Wonderful Day – commissioned by Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art (Hattiesburg, MS)
2019 Chalk Art Mural, Denver Chalk Art Festival
2018 Two Murals painted for Presbyterian Christian High School, Hattiesburg, MS
2018 Mural, The Atlanta Belt Line, year long exhibition
2018 Chalk Art Mural, Denver Chalk Art Festival
2016 Glass House Collective, Artist in Residence, Chattanooga, TN
2016 Mural for Glass House Collective, Glass House Live 2016Publications and Media
2020 Hattiesburg American –
Two New Murals In Progress In Hattiesburg
2019 “Rowell” Session 6, Episode 3, Home Town, HGTV
2018 VSCO/Samsung Mobile, photo by
Ricardo Moody, SM3 – Evening
2018 Interview with The Visual Voices Magazine –
Ways of Knowing
2017 Christina Rouse, VSCO – Arts and Culture Community Spotlight –
A Sense of Contrast
2016 Meaghen Stark, Dime Entertainment Magazine, pg.30-33 –
In The Mood
Representation
2019 Oddfellows, Hattiesburg, MS
2019 The Pinehurst Rathskeller, Laurel, MS
PCS is fully accredited by MAIS and Cognia