LOWELL -- It may not look like it from the outside, but Immaculate Conception School in Lowell is home to the greatest art gallery on Earth.

The ceiling tiles in the hallways and cafeteria are decorated with paintings by the likes of Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, and many other artists. Iconic works like the "Mona Lisa," "The Starry Night," and the "Girl with a Pearl Earring" can be found, alongside images of Mickey Mouse, a 1980s television, and an Xbox controller. Immaculate Conception's 348 students, ranging from pre-K to eighth grade, can get a crash course in art history on the way to their next class -- as long as they crane their necks upward.

In a tradition that has lasted for at least 20 years, each graduating class of eighth graders paints the ceiling tiles as a lasting gift to the school.

"I'm so proud of them," IC Principal Catherine Fiorino told The Pilot when it visited the school in April. "And it's fun because when they come back to visit, they look for their tile."

Every staff member seems to have a favorite. Principal Fiorino's is the ceiling tile depicting Norman Rockwell's "Smiling Soldiers."

"Isn't that cute?" Fiorino said as she looked up at the tiles, depicting everything from the French Impressionists to Andy Warhol. "Cool, huh? Campbell's Soup."

Originally, the students would attach paper to the bottom of their desks and draw on their backs, Michelangelo-style. Then, they would learn about a famous artist in art class and choose one of their works to replicate. Nowadays, art teacher Noreen Crowley encourages the students, working in small groups of three or four, to make their own masterpieces.

"I prefer that the students really use their imagination," she told The Pilot.

Before coming to IC, Crowley saw ceiling tile artwork when she taught in Lowell Public Schools. However, IC's smaller class sizes give her more one-on-one time with each student.

"I like the idea of students leaving their mark on the school," she said.

Through the ceiling tile projects, students learn not only art but also science, engineering, math, history, geography, and, most importantly, teamwork.

"The goal for me is to see students who, some of them aren't even friends, coming together to collaborate," Crowley said, "to compromise, negotiate on the topic of their ceiling tile, and take turns. These are skills that they're going to need outside of school."

Linda Gallotto, who has taught eighth graders at IC for 24 years, said that the projects allow students to use their various skills. Some might have an analytical mind that allows them to draw buildings and bridges accurately, while others have a gift for portraying the colors of a sunset.

"We have some really very good artists," she told The Pilot, "and then we may have some artists that are like me, that do stick people... So they have to be kind and take into account that not everybody's at the same skill level. Not everybody's an artist, but everybody has great ideas."

While walking the halls, Gallotto recognized a ceiling tile painted by her own children when they attended IC -- a recreation of Edouard Manet's "The Fifer."

This year, most of the eighth graders are painting nature scenes. Crowley likes to say that "in nature, there's no perfection, and that's the beauty of it."

Eighth graders Daniela Correa, Bridget McLaughlin, and Jace Rondeau are painting a lake in the woods on their ceiling tile. The trees haven't been painted yet. Not based on any particular place, the scene comes solely from their imaginations. It was Daniela's idea to do a nature scene. She originally wanted to paint the Saco River in New Hampshire, where she and her family go camping together.

"I've always just loved nature," she told The Pilot.

The three have been working on the ceiling tile since October, and plan to finish it by the start of May. Daniela said that the hardest part of the project has been "trying not to yell at everybody."

"You're not used to working with them," Bridget told The Pilot, "and so you have to learn to work with everybody and have everybody participate."

It has also been challenging for them to perfect the shading and textures. They weren't sure whether they wanted to draw a sunrise or a sunset, but as the colors blended together, they decided that it would work best as a sunset. Bridget said it was "nerve-racking" to think of how hundreds of students and faculty members will be able to see their tile for decades to come.

"Everyone is going to look up at the ceiling and love it," she said.