"What a model!" said Meg Dickason, a Lima artist, as she watched the wiggling first graders prance by in their costumes. "Don't these clothes make you happy?"
Behind the students, the library in Maumee City Schools' Fairfield Elementary was transformed into a tropical rainforest. Floral prints hid the bookcases. Stuffed animals and Guatemalan masks covered the table tops.
"It feels like we just totally stepped into this teleporter and we walked into the Amazon rainforest," said Sam Archambeau, 7.
It's part of a two-week project at Fairfield as the resident artist taught about native clothing and orchestrated art projects about the rainforest. "I want them to feel like they had an experience with the world," said Ms. Dickason, 67, who has traveled to 29 rainforests.
Ms. Dickason, who has visited 59 countries, formerly taught biology and English at schools near Columbus and Cincinnati. But she retired 25 years ago because she wanted to pursue her passion -- art.
Since then, she has visited schools across the state and leading workshops for up to 10 weeks at a time. "This is my job," she said. "I can't wait to start every morning."
Fairview Families, the parent-teacher group for the school, paid the $3,200 cost for the artist and supplies.