Melissa Ricks grew up in San Luis Obispo, California but has been living in Idaho for the past 17 years, 6 of those here in Rexburg. She attended Ricks College where she received associate degrees in Elementary Education and Recreation Education. Being heavily involved and maybe a little too competitive in her awesome high school art program, she felt a little burned out with art upon beginning college. Though initially, she did not declare art as her major, she still took at least one art class per semester and loved it. After serving a missing to Guayaquil South, Ecuador, she was determined to finish her undergraduate in art. Sister Ricks received her bachelors of fine art in illustration from Brigham Young University in 2001 and was able to complete commissions for all the Church magazines at the time, a book for Deseret Book, several private commission, and sold publishing rights to Sounds of Zion to print and distribute prints or her art in various religious bookstores across the country.
Sister Ricks is a mother of five incredible kids and has loved welcoming a son in law, a daughter in law, and the cutest granddaughter into her family. After her third baby she took a seven year break from illustrating to focus on raising her kids. With her family she loves to hike, kayak, travel, bake healthy concoctions, and cheer her kids on in their sporting events. Once all were in school, she began painting full-time, but as a fine artist instead of working with art directors again. She loved producing religious paintings, meaningful to her and selling her prints. In 2018 Sister Ricks began teaching full time at Sugar Salem High School and her MAT program. She loves teaching photography, ceramics, drawing, and painting while working with teenage students. Sister Ricks also teaches Art 110 and Art 210 at BYUI and has loved the experiences, opportunities, coworkers, and students she has met here. It has definitely been an additional highlight in her life.
Education
AA in Elementary Education, Ricks College (BYUI), 1997
AA in Recreation Education, Ricks College (BYUI), 1997
BFA in Illustration, Brigham Young University, 2001
MAT, Idaho State University, 2020