A diorama depicting the Bible story of Jonah and the big fish.For Sunday school teacher Deanie Hutto, making Bible stories real for his class of 9- to 12-year-olds has taken on a whole new meaning. With the help of a cabinet-making deacon and a church member who paints, 68-year-old Hutto builds models and dioramas to illustrate the Bible stories he teaches.
Elijah rides toward heaven on a chariot of fire.Hutto’s passion for visual storytelling began when he was looking through a catalog for Sunday school books. In the catalog, Hutto saw Jonah and the big fish toys as well as Bible character figurines. “I started thinking, I could maybe put something [like this] together,” Hutto said. So he constructed his own scene of Jonah and the big fish.
Since then, he has built 20 additional Bible scenes. The models fill his Sunday school classroom at Mt. Arnon Church, Allendale, and Hutto said he is running out of room for his creations. But that hasn’t stopped him from building his two newest models; he recently completed a diorama of Balaam and the donkey, and he is currently putting the finishing touches on his Jacob’s ladder scene.
Out of his 21 dioramas, Hutto said, “My favorite one of all would be Elijah when he went to heaven in the fiery chariot. There’s just something about Elijah.”
Hutto finds his inspiration during his time in the Bible. “I’m reading my Bible, and something will hit me, ‘You need to make this,’ ” Hutto said. By sharing the stories that are so dear to him in visual form, Hutto feels that children understand better. “They can look at it and put it all together,” he said.
Hutto’s building projects involve a wide variety of materials, ranging from plastic dolphins to pieces of Plexiglas, as well as a healthy dose of creativity. He spends countless hours carefully gathering materials and assembling his dioramas. But, Hutto said, “It’s all worth it if they can learn.”
With his classroom full of colorful dioramas, Hutto works hard to inspire children and help them see Scripture through new eyes.
Kay and Deanie Hutto with some young Sunday school students.