Google contest: Show your art

Want to display your art where it's certain to get stares? Put it on the side of a self-driving car.

As Google's new dome-shaped robo-cars begin cruising the streets of Mountain View, the company is reaching out to the art community for help in decorating its new fleet. Starting next month, Google is inviting artists to submit attractive images that can be featured on the side of the prototype cars. The new art contest, dubbed "Paint The Town," is seeking 10 pieces of art to be displayed for up to a month on the side of the new vehicles.

Submissions will be accepted from July 11 through Aug. 30 from anyone in California aged 13 or older. More details, including design guidelines, can be found at Google's new webpage

To kick off the contest, Google is also hosting a series of public events to explain its self-driving program and the technology. Those events are scheduled at 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, at the Community School of Music and Art at 230 San Antonio Circle in Mountain View.