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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!

This week's prompts

Write about a gallery whose paintings come alive at night.

Fantasy – 66 stories

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

Funny – 31 stories

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

Adventure – 31 stories

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

Romance – 98 stories

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

Thriller and Suspense – 38 stories

Stories

“Beyond the Canvas” by Zaria Nurse

Submitted to Contest #242

Through the years, buildings have changed in design, with less care for intricacies most have adopted modern features of minimalism and futurism, this is not to say they lack in receiving admiration but something about those who stood decades before exuded grandness that one is simply unable to forget. Amongst most fine buildings of this nature was the museum in its ancient glory. History ran across its corridors, plastered itself against its walls and spread throughout its rooms adding more than just the enchanting exterior, within was othe...

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“A Two-Dimensional Love affair” by Arlen Lockhart

Submitted to Contest #242

George Hayes rushed through the Paris streets under a torrent of rain, skidding to a halt at the entrance of the De Cluny Museum. Rain-soaked and breathless he was confronted at the door by a security guard.“I'm sorry sir,” the guard said. “We're closing in five minutes I suggest you come back tomorrow.”“Please, I'm flying out of Paris tonight, and I need one last look at a painting. It's an image of a lady in red, I can't get her out of my mind. I must take a picture of her image before I leave.”The guard hesitated, then held the door open ...

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“Restoration” by Jennifer Luckett

Submitted to Contest #242

Restorationby Jennifer Luckett The balled-up pages blanketed the carpet below like melting snowballs, useless for the masterpiece of a snowman I wanted to build. I really needed inspiration to end this Writer’s Block that all the long walks or journal writing couldn’t fix. I’d loved Science museums since grade school, always fascinated by displays of obsolete machines and extinct creatures. I was considering an overdue museum visit when my best (and only) buddy Jenny suggested I visit the Fine Art collection. “I’...

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“MET” by S. E. Foley

Submitted to Contest #242

She imagined winding her fingers in the pouf of his hair, twisting it into braids. Charlotte turned away, pretending to look at the towering gilded sculpture of Diana. Way to creep, Char. The school trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art was amazing and exhausting. Her Figure Drawing professor had gotten them a charter bus and a miserably long drive from Potsdam into New York City to tour as many museums as she could cram in a day. Charlotte, ever the lone wolf, went to the MET’s American Wing right away. She had been saving the cloist...

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“The one who enters, stays. ” by S.L Neptune

Submitted to Contest #242

“No no no! You can’t take it!” I panicked as I saw a team of black suited men start to pack artifacts into foam padded boxes. Two men picked up a large stone wall that had hieroglyphics inscribed on it. I ran over, tripping over my feet as a bit of panic sets in. “No please, I still have so much to learn. I haven’t translated this text yet. Please, I was supposed to have the full 2 months. It has only been 6 weeks.” I wiped my brow, the hot desert heat radiated off of the government cars. A man in a black suit walked up to me,...

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“Pulling Strings” by Claire Marsh

Submitted to Contest #242

If Willow’s grin got any wider, it would capsize her face. Archie watched her jigging on the stool like a child made to wait before opening presents. He had about as much chance of getting out of this as he’d had persuading her to take one bag on their honeymoon. “Come on, you know you’ll love it once we’re there,” she said from behind the laptop. “I never, ever said I loved any of them. I’d rather be hiking to a beautiful waterfall, relaxing in a pool, or visiting, I don’t know, a proper museum.” “Nonsense. You made me go to that ...

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“Idyllically” by Luka Yetter

Submitted to Contest #242

Wilfred Frank was an art thief, born in 1999 on a dairy farm in France. The 10-acre storybook retreat was bought by his artist parents, Buchanan Frank and Elizabeth Lham-Frank, in 1998 after both of their series received sudden and astonishing praise, with their highest pieces selling for a combined total of $1 billion. Dairy Manor, the name the Franks gave to the land after purchase, became the primary residence for Buchanan and Elizabeth. Upon purchase, they commented:"Buchanan and I absolutely fell in love with it. Didn't we, dear?""Yes, ...

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“When I Was A King” by C.N. Jung

Submitted to Contest #242

Donald Martin’s second grade class went on a field trip in the fall of 1993. It was a trip that’s destination was a local museum called the Relics of Old. Donald didn’t want to go. He puckered his lip and resisted the urge to stomp his foot while Mrs. Alisha was prepping them for the bus ride. He wanted to stay at school and have Mrs. Alisha carry on her reading of the book Shiloh. He wanted to get lost in captivating stories and riveting fairy tales. He longed for knights and dragons, hero dogs, and brave steeds.He didn’t see what all ...

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“Another Time, Another Place” by Raven West

Submitted to Contest #242

When the phone rang at six am, Michelle’s first reaction was to turn it off and go back to sleep. Having recently retired, she was getting used to not waking up before the time was double-digits, but the insistent ring tone had a different idea. Seeing her sister Cathy’s name on the caller-ID, Michelle was immediately alert, thinking it must be some emergency for her to be calling before the sun came up. “Cathy, what’s wrong?” She asked, trepidation in her voice. “Nothing’s wrong,” Cathy replied. “I’m really sorry to call you this early, b...

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“Picture of Love in Bloom” by Cara Fidler

Submitted to Contest #242

I splurged and made the trip from Baltimore to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. to immerse myself in an exhibition of Impressionist paintings, Monet being my favorite of the Impressionists'. I had arrived early and there were just a handful of people standing in the area where I was.I slowly made my way through the museum admiring the many outstanding paintings awash in color and light, the likes of which I had only seen in pictures on a much smaller scale. I was enthralled by the most magnificent paintings, artifacts, and scu...

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“The Mirror” by Susan Erickson

Submitted to Contest #242

“I do.” The words slipped out of my mouth with relief. The wedding ceremony had been chaotic but had turned out quite nicely. As I walked hand in hand with my new husband down the aisle, our friends and family were all smiles. I couldn’t help feeling like the luckiest woman in the world. Jaxon and I had been dating for a little over four years. Our relationship hadn’t always been the best, but I guess not every couple could boast of the perfect union. Jax wasn’t abusive or anything. However, he could be quite difficult and his mood was chall...

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“Dazed and Dazzled by Dior” by Anne Perry

Submitted to Contest #242

Dazed and dazzled by the Dior collection of haute couture at the DMA, Dorian experienced a liminal moment of decided, delirious spiritual bliss. In this state, he could hardly remember his own name or why he had come again (his sixteenth visit to the exhibit in 19 days—oh, why, why were they closed on Mondays?) Bumping into a young woman who stood with a sketchbook in front of a dazzling gingko-leaf printed draped masterpiece, his drawing diary disengaged from his arms, and a dozen sheaves of watercolor paper descended, bedecked with h...

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“Holding the Stone of Kings” by Elaine Elliott

Submitted to Contest #242

Abby slipped through the metal detector. Wearing black slacks and a colorful woven Guatemalan huipil blouse, she nodded politely at the man holding the tray with her small purse as she retrieved it. Her partner Ryan followed, picking up his phone and keys, and the two of them sauntered into the MUNAG, the Museo National de Arte Guatemalteca. Free, located on the Antigua central park in the immense old yellow building of the Capitanes Generales from the Spanish colonial era, a few other guests entered behind them. They meandered t...

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“Impressionistic Love” by Rudy Greene

Submitted to Contest #242

It was 1974 and I was on my first tour of Europe. My student rail pass allowed me to travel cheaply through Western Europe. My backpack and sleeping bag were my only luggage and slept most nights in hostels or public parks. I was one of hundreds of international students travelling the continent that summer. We all had our stories. Most travelers were in pairs, I was solo. My best friend, Bob, had bailed at the last minute. I figured travelling alone would force me to break out of my shyness. So far, it hadn’t worked. I was f****** lone...

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“Diary Of a Truth Seeker March 2066” by Stephen Laviera

Submitted to Contest #242

The early morning dew of Mother nature is ephemeral. The sun rises on its own timing. Never too soon, nor too early. An elderly man strolls merrily along an unbeaten path. Thoughtless though present he sighed with relief. Seeing the bench he always sits atop the summit. Where he’s watched the sun rise for the past fifty years. He chuckles with delight, finally comfortable in his uncomfortable dream.“Always pleasant when a vision comes from the beloved. I’ll be back in his bosom when I’m called.” He sat in silence...

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$250

Prize money

264

Contest entries

118

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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