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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#242: Fine Art

Museums are magical places. There’s something so special about admiring art in sacred, silent spaces, together with complete strangers. In museums, time is suspended; you can forget about the outside world and lose yourself in the paintings, sculptures, and other artwork around you.

This week, let’s write some stories inspired by art and museums. Think about some of your favorite galleries, or consider creating a brand-new museum the world has yet to see. Let your imagination run wild, and maybe even try writing in a new genre. For this contest, the sky’s the limit!

🥇 Winner

“Do Not Touch ” by Niamh O'Dea

🏆 Winner of Contest #242

Jen lived by the unwritten rules of being single but wanting a child. Don’t look at children. Don’t engage with children. Don’t talk about children. Don’t let other people talk about their children. And don’t, for the love of all that is holy, tell anyone you long for a child. A nearby suitor could be eyeing you up, biting their bottom lip at the sight of your untoned bum, lusting after your wide midriff, admiring your conical legs. They could be subconsciously sliding you through their mental mold of their dream woman, seeing you slot in j...

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“The Night Watchman” by Trudy Jas

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #242

He comes to work just before closing time, as he does every night. His uniform is pressed, cap on his head, belt with keys and other useless stuff hanging on his hip. Every evening, he politely listens to whatever the man from the day shift wants to tell him. He knows nothing will happen. All will be well. He'll make sure.After he has smiled warmly, listening to everyone wishing him a cheerful goodnight, after he has locked up and turned off most of the lights, he walks to the small side room and sits on the bench.The man sits quietly and wa...

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“Dancing to the Paintings” by Hannah Lynn

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #242

They were back. Clicking their hard nails on the wooden floor, panting as they grew closer. She assumed position covering herself with her coat and closed her eyes. She heard her mother’s voice as if in the darkened room with her. “Play dead, Shana.” Did she remember to lock the door? Not that it mattered, a small flimsy lock wouldn’t keep them out. She heard their footsteps approaching, knew the vicious dogs were leading those men in black boots straight to her. Angry German voices filtered into the...

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“The Last Man Kneeling” by Stephanie I

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #242

(*warning; Implied racism and mentions of slavery. *) THE LAST MAN KNEELING The man in the painting was nameless, but he knew three things for certain:1. He was depicted kneeling on a plush red carpet, his face locked in a stern expression as he gazed into the flickering flames of a grand fireplace.2. The artist who had brought him to life and placed him on display was known as Asher Vanderbilt, his elegant signature adorning the bottom of the canvas in golden letters.3. And most importantly - at night, the nameless man would come alive. It ...

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“Number Thirty-Three” by Kim Meyers

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #242

“I don’t get art,” says Katrina. “Why pay so much for something that looks like a kindergartner made it?” She is staring at a beautifully chaotic painting stationed in the foyer. “That’s a Molinkska original”, replies Jake, approaching from behind. “It also happens to be my personal favorite.” “Well, to each his own.” Her roving eye gave it one last look before moving on to the next painting hanging in the bright foyer. “It’s just not my cup of tea. I much prefer something more traditional, like a landscape or portrait.” Jake sidesteps...

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“Apparition in Blue, No. 5. ” by Darya Black

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #242

“There is a hidden side to every picture—the conception which was in the artist’s mind and heart. That conception, when he formed it, expressed itself clearly in the astral and mental matter, even though he may have succeeded but partially in bringing his idea down to the physical world.” — C. W. Leadbeater, The Hidden Side of Things, Vol. II, 1913 1: Separation I don’t know much about the man who created me. I feel only threads of him, currents of his energy seeping through the paint in my veins. In my mind, he is a bearded man, ...

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This week's prompts

Write about a gallery whose paintings come alive at night.

Fantasy – 65 stories

Write about someone who accidentally destroys a museum’s most valuable artifact.

Funny – 30 stories

Write about an art thief who is struggling to commit the perfect heist.

Adventure – 30 stories

Write about two characters who meet and/or fall in love in a museum.

Romance – 96 stories

Start or end your story with a character who gets trapped inside a museum overnight.

Thriller and Suspense – 37 stories

Stories

“Do Not Touch ” by Niamh O'Dea

🏆 Winner of Contest #242

Jen lived by the unwritten rules of being single but wanting a child. Don’t look at children. Don’t engage with children. Don’t talk about children. Don’t let other people talk about their children. And don’t, for the love of all that is holy, tell anyone you long for a child. A nearby suitor could be eyeing you up, biting their bottom lip at the sight of your untoned bum, lusting after your wide midriff, admiring your conical legs. They could be subconsciously sliding you through their mental mold of their dream woman, seeing you slot in j...

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“Letters to Margriet” by Alexis Araneta

Submitted to Contest #242

14 February 2019Dear Margriet,Hello!Look, I know you might find this a bit creepy, see this bold action of mine as an enormous scarlet stroke haphazardly brushed onto the pristine white canvas of your consciousness. I’m very sorry, if so. However, I can’t deny what I feel anymore; as much as I try to let it fade, it always bubbles to the surface. Yes, the truth is that ever since I first saw you at the Mauritshuis museum today, took in the chiaroscuro of your soul in those steel grey eyes that sparkled like the most brilliant of jewelry, you...

112 comments 112

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“The Night Watchman” by Trudy Jas

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #242

He comes to work just before closing time, as he does every night. His uniform is pressed, cap on his head, belt with keys and other useless stuff hanging on his hip. Every evening, he politely listens to whatever the man from the day shift wants to tell him. He knows nothing will happen. All will be well. He'll make sure.After he has smiled warmly, listening to everyone wishing him a cheerful goodnight, after he has locked up and turned off most of the lights, he walks to the small side room and sits on the bench.The man sits quietly and wa...

Read story

“In 1898 - Trapped in the Ship's "Museum" ” by Kristi Gott

Submitted to Contest #242

Waves splashing against the ship “Pacific Odyssey” echoed in the dark hold beneath the decks. It was anchored off the shore near the Mystic Lighthouse and the year was 1898.A musty smell wafted in the still air. Dark shapes of the captain’s collections from faraway places created a twisted labyrinth. A rustle sounded from deep in a corner. What was that? A rat?From the shadows one of the shapes began rising. It became taller, wider.Slowly it moved closer.What was that? Where was the way out?Elsie stopped breathi...

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“Back to the Garden” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #242

The Earth Museum had been devoid of visitors for weeks before its overhead tubes crackled and illuminated the cavernous atrium beyond my enclosure. I heard the familiar grind and clank of the distant security door and peered through the reinforced glass to see our android curator enter with a scaly reptilian, lurching forward on its hind legs. The immediate greeting from my fellow inmates was the usual deafening, mealtime cacophony of howls, shrieks and yelps. The curator waited for the racket to diminish before starting the tour, introducin...

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“La Luna Negra” by Jonathan Page

Submitted to Contest #242

Isabella’s note said, “I am sorry, my love. I’ve decided. I won’t be coming back.” His heart seemed to stop beating.Gabriel journeyed out among the thin outline of the green coast, traversing the rough crags bordered by multicolored thatched rooves of sailors’ homes which clung to the slopes and cast terrible shadows down along the coastline. The shadows looked like the menacing fingers of a deformed giant trying to reach down and snatch living souls.Isabella had erased his entire history. Was he an amnesiac? A stranger to himself? He could ...

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“When Will We Ever Learn” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #242

When Will We Ever Learn?“Careful. That whitewash may still be wet.”“What are you talkin' 'bout? How would you know?”“Helpin' paint picket fences is one of ma many talents. Used ta spend hours doin' it just fer fun.”“Just fer fun? Sounds like work to me.”“Then ya'll haven't ever met my good ol' pal Tom Sawyer. He'd talk ya inta it alright. But then agin, ya'll pretty little. Maybe ya couldn't handle the big ol' brush, anyways.”“I'm plenty big enough to use a brush. Ya gots one on ya? I'll prove it to ya.”“Na, they's got fancy maintenance peop...

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“Dancing to the Paintings” by Hannah Lynn

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #242

They were back. Clicking their hard nails on the wooden floor, panting as they grew closer. She assumed position covering herself with her coat and closed her eyes. She heard her mother’s voice as if in the darkened room with her. “Play dead, Shana.” Did she remember to lock the door? Not that it mattered, a small flimsy lock wouldn’t keep them out. She heard their footsteps approaching, knew the vicious dogs were leading those men in black boots straight to her. Angry German voices filtered into the...

Read story

“The Last Man Kneeling” by Stephanie I

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #242

(*warning; Implied racism and mentions of slavery. *) THE LAST MAN KNEELING The man in the painting was nameless, but he knew three things for certain:1. He was depicted kneeling on a plush red carpet, his face locked in a stern expression as he gazed into the flickering flames of a grand fireplace.2. The artist who had brought him to life and placed him on display was known as Asher Vanderbilt, his elegant signature adorning the bottom of the canvas in golden letters.3. And most importantly - at night, the nameless man would come alive. It ...

Read story

“The Kiss” by Jack Kimball

Submitted to Contest #242

“Physicists tell us that the solidity of matter is an illusion, more like a vibrational frequency than particles of solid matter, more like a musical note. “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form,” states the Heart Sutra, one of the best known ancient Buddhist texts. The essence of all things is emptiness.”― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of NowWhile my wife was still living, we would spend most every Sunday afternoon at the Museum of Art. We would drift through the cavernous halls, but always start and end with a life-sized sculpture, a nude coupl...

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“First Try Wins” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #242

“Congratulations,” he said, “But you didn’t really win.” Lisa glanced over at the man bundled up in what looked to be two winter coats and a sweater. He was wearing thick glasses and a gray beanie. It was one o’clock in the afternoon, and they were the only two people in the gallery reserved for displaying the winners of the museum of art’s weekly amateur painting and sculpture contest. Lisa’s painting titled “Denver in January” had come in first place, and she was featured prominently with the runners up placed on the adjacent walls. It wa...

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“The Art Of Love” by Wendy M

Submitted to Contest #242

James winced. The gallery benches were solid and unyielding, something he should have remembered after 53 years. Misery bit at his sharp, protesting bones as he sat, tweaking his purple scarf. Visible but unapproachable, like an anxious aubergine basilisk.# On his first trip to London, his parents had dashed him up the long rumbling escalator from the underground. The promise of a trip to see the guards parading in their smart scarlet tunics outside Buckingham ...

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“De Nachtwacht” by John Rutherford

Submitted to Contest #242

Breaking News – Missing figures from RijksmuseumReporter Daan StampReporting for Amsterdam GazetteThe world and this reporter are shocked to the core, with the breaking news announcement that certain figures are missing from the Rijksmuseum world famous collection. The Director of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s famous building and collection of precious masterpieces of art, Mevrouw Lembrandt, stood on the front steps of the building after calling upon the world’s press to make this groundbreaking news announcement today, this morning at 10:00,...

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“Number Thirty-Three” by Kim Meyers

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #242

“I don’t get art,” says Katrina. “Why pay so much for something that looks like a kindergartner made it?” She is staring at a beautifully chaotic painting stationed in the foyer. “That’s a Molinkska original”, replies Jake, approaching from behind. “It also happens to be my personal favorite.” “Well, to each his own.” Her roving eye gave it one last look before moving on to the next painting hanging in the bright foyer. “It’s just not my cup of tea. I much prefer something more traditional, like a landscape or portrait.” Jake sidesteps...

Read story

“Rapha and Kafka ” by Claire Trbovic

Submitted to Contest #242

“Won’t you get sick from sitting on a cold floor?” the baby asked.“Sounds like something she’d say to scare us into doing something without really knowing why,” I retorted, trying to sound authoritative with a voice that still hadn’t broken.“But we don’t have anyone to go to now if we get sick. What do we do if we get cold and die?” The baby’s tone was strangely calm, almost in acknowledgment that something this extreme could actually happen, which was a concern and news to me.I didn’t dare admit I needed the guidance, so I decided to wait a...

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$250

Prize money

258

Contest entries

117

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 22, 2024 EST

Won by Niamh O'Dea 🏆

Title: Do Not Touch

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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