Charlie Colvin, left, and Sean Beard will have their “refrigerator art” exhibited in Washington, D.C. later this month.

SCITUATE — If you happen to drop by the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., between Aug. 25 and Sept. 2 you might see something familiar — a mosaic of Beavertail Point on Jamestown.

But there will be something different about the way the scenic landmark looks. It will have three wind turbines, courtesy of the artists.

It all has to do with energy conservation and refrigerator art, and “The Art of Recycling” exhibition.

Two students of Scituate High School science teachers Shannon Donovan and Erica Cioe earned the privilege of exhibiting their work after entering a contest for a national exhibition of refrigerator art.

The idea behind the work of sophomores Charlie Colvin and Sean Beard was to urge people to dump their pre-1993 refrigerators for more energy-efficient ones.

Beard learned of the Energy Star program, Recycle My Old Fridge, when he traveled to the National Energy Education Development Youth Awards Conference in June, the teachers reported.

Beard and another partner, Michael Volino, created a video that was also pitched at encouraging conversion to more modern refrigerators. They have invited those interested to visit a Web site and vote for the one thought to be most effective in getting the message across. The Web address is http://www.recyclemyoldfridge.com/videochallenge.aspx.

Donovan said yesterday that the young artists will not be able to visit their work in D.C.

“We’re hoping that the folks organizing it will take lots of pictures for us,” she said.

She also said that part of the exhibit is a poll to select the best of the refrigerator art. If Colvin and Beard win it, they will be able to travel to Washington next year to attend the annual National Energy Education Development conference. The event, which occurs each year in June, honors students from around the country who have done energy education projects.

“Helping people to visualize a beautiful Rhode Island shore that includes wind turbines may help move us closer to a more energy independent and sustainable state,” Donovan and Cioe said in a statement. “In combination, the reduction of energy waste and the generation of more renewable energy will result in lower carbon-dioxide emissions and reduced contribution to climate change. If sea levels rise as expected due to climate change, our view of Beavertail and all locations near sea level will change dramatically. This is what these students are working to prevent.”

The teachers said that, according to U.S. Department of Energy reports, if every American household replaced refrigerators, enough energy would be saved to light 8.1 million homes for an entire year, and carbon dioxide emissions would be greatly reduced.

They said that more than 50 entries will be on display during “The Art of Recycling.” Judges will select the top three entries based on these criteria: Coolest; Best Use of Recycled Materials; Overall Creativity; and Best Portrayal of the Campaign Theme. Winners will be announced Sept. 2.

The National Building Museum is at 401 F Street NW and is across the street from the Red Line Metro, Judiciary Square stop. For more information, visit www.nbm.org. For more information, visit www.nbm.org. For more information on The Recycle My Old Fridge Campaign or “The Art of Recycling” exhibition go to www.recyclemyoldfridge.com.

tmorgan@projo.com