"If I Could Do Anything, I Would..." Doodle 4 Google

The 2010 Doodle 4 Google theme is: "If I Could Do Anything, I Would..."

Hey Kids! The third annual Doodle 4 Google competition has begun! K-12 students in the U.S. are invited to enter this national art competition for a chance to see their artwork featured on Google's homepage. This year's theme, "If I Could Do Anything, I Would...", encourages kids to think about what they might do if given the opportunity to change one thing about their life or the world.

One national winner will win a $15,000 scholarship toward the school of their choice as well as a $25,000 grant for their school toward the establishment/improvement of a computer lab, a trip to New York City for an event on May 26th, 2010, and a Wacom digital design tablet. Forty regional winners will also be chosen and their creations will be displayed at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. The winning doodle will be featured on the Google.com homepage on May 27, 2010.

A group of "Expert Jurors" - well-known illustrators, cartoonists and animators from organizations like The Sesame Street Workshop, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, The Charles Shulz/Peanuts Museum and Pixar Animation Studios - will be helping select the forty finalist doodles as well as attending the awards ceremony to personally meet winners.

Teachers must register for their students by March 17 and entries are due by March 31.

For submission details, please visit the Doodle 4 Google competition website

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"If I Could Do Anything, I Would..." Doodle 4 Google

Journey Into the Fantastic World of Jim Henson

Jim Henson among his famous cast of puppets from The Muppet Show

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI — "Prepare to be delighted, impressed and amazed," said Betsy Bradley, Director of the Mississippi Museum of Art at a news-conference on Friday. After a group of children sang the Sesame Street theme song, Bradley proudly announced a new exhibit opening Saturday at the museum - Jim Henson's Fantastic World. "See how [Henson] made the magic that has uplifted and thrilled us for so many years," Bradley said to the crowd.

A native of Mississippi, Jim Henson developed an astounding imagination by exploring and finding inspiration from the creatures inhabiting the wilderness near his childhood home. Although he died in 1990, Henson's legacy lives on through the numerous memorable characters he invented, from The Muppets like Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy to  Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. His work is enjoyed in dozens of languages in more than 100 countries, by children and adults of all ages.

Jim Henson's Fantastic World will include 100 original artworks, including drawings, cartoons and storyboards that illustrate Henson’s talent as a storyteller and visionary. Among the variety of exhibition objects are puppets and television and movie props, photographs of Henson and his collaborators at work and original video productions, including excerpts from Henson’s early career and experimental films. After Mississippi, the exhibit will travel to 12 other sites across the United States.

"It's such a treat to get to know Jim Henson through his doodles and drawings, his puppets and his fantastic performances," said Karen Falk, curator of the exhibition and archivist at The Jim Henson Company.

Jim Henson's Fantastic World (December 19, 2009 - March 14, 2010) | Mississippi Museum of Art

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Journey Into the Fantastic World of Jim Henson