Main Street in Bowling Green has been transformed into an art gallery.

Downtown travelers can view gleaming soda bottle pinwheels and a painted winter wonderland; both are art projects on display from Bowling Green City Schools students.

“Waste Less, Recycle More,” a sustainability installation piece in the vacant Liberty Tax Service building at 111 S. Main St., has been on display since early October.

The other project changes with the seasons. An alpine-themed winter landscape was put up Wednesday at the vacant Rail Billiards building, at 145 N. Main St., replacing a display of autumn leaves.

Fifth and sixth graders from Crim and Milton Elementary Schools and the Montessori School of Bowling Green collaborated on the projects with their art teachers and Downtown BG — a liaison group that works with government offices, merchants and media to keep the downtown area thriving.

“It’s nice when the schools receive the support of the community,” said Noreen Overholt, a Milton art teacher who helped coordinate the projects. “It makes kids feel like their art is important.”

The winter landscape will withstand any real flurries or blizzards, Overholt said, and will be on display for the next few months.

“Some of the alpine trees look a little bit like ‘Charlie Brown’ trees, but they’ll make it through snow time,” Overholt said. “We painted them with outdoor paint so they’ll last through the weather and still hold their bright colors.”

Lindsey Becker, a senior art education major, coordinated “Waste Less, Recycle More” while student teaching in a sixth grade class at Crim earlier this semester.

“One of my roommates is an environmental science major and really inspired me and taught me a lot about the environment,” she said. “Now I’m more aware of when I’m throwing something away and wasting energy. I wanted to show the kids how important that is so they can realize what they’re doing, too.”

Although sustainable art is more common among contemporary adult artists, Becker said adapting an environmental lesson to a sixth grade level was easy — with a little help from the Disney Pixar film “WALL-E.”

“I told them that [what happens in the movie] could happen in real life if they don’t take care of the planet,” she said. “I think they were at the perfect age and mental capacity to think about the future and what could happen. They could grasp the concept.”

After viewing some clips from the movie, all Crim students enthusiastically donated recyclable materials for the project, Becker said.

“It was a lot of fun,” she said. “Hopefully the students learned a lot and the project made a difference in the community.”

Barbara Ruland, Downtown BG executive director, said a downtown art gallery was her and Overholt’s collaborative idea, and she would like to continue the gallery throughout the year.

“It started at the Spring Art Walk and eventually it grew into us putting up the artwork you can now see year round,” Ruland said. “My goal is to not have any empty space downtown, and this is a great way to achieve that and showcase the work of our local art students.”

Ruland won a distinguished citizen service award from the Northwest Ohio Art Education Association for her involvement with the project after Overholt nominated her in early November.

“Barb is trying to have the schools become more involved with the community and the kids really like making art for downtown,” Overholt said. “It’s a bigger accumulation, so everyone helps. One kid’s art alone won’t make an impact downtown, but if you put a bunch together, it’s a really nice installation.”