Shipwreck Story Contest: UNY with the American Folk Art Museum

Good news! We’ve extended the deadline for submissions to our shipwreck story contest to Wednesday, February 24. Send your entry to underwaternewyork (at) gmail (dot) com

On the floors of New York City’s waterways, no fewer than one hundred and seventy shipwrecks languish. Although their exact locations must remain secret to thwart the efforts of amateur looters, we are asking you to dive in and mine the wreckage.

Draw your inspiration from our gallery of shipwreck images and tell a story—fiction, creative nonfiction or poetry—in 3000 words or less, that brings these ghost ships back to life.

As with our regular submissions, we are not asking for explanations, but rather the stories that these shipwrecks evoke. Be as creative as possible, but to qualify for the contest, your story must reference a shipwreck specifically in the NYC waterways. (This doesn’t mean you need to write about a shipwreck that actually happened, but your story must reference the waterways around the city.)

Underwater New York presents the Shipwreck Story Contest in conjunction with the American Folk Art Museum’s exhibition, Thomas Chambers (1808-1869): American Maritime and Landscape Painter.

The winning story will be published in Underwater New York, and its author will have the chance to read at Underwater New York Free Music Friday: Shipwreck Stories at the American Folk Art Museum on March 5, 2010.

Contest details:

• Submit your entry using our online form and write “Shipwreck Story Contest” in the “which object” line.
• The deadline for submissions is February 12, 2010.
• Contest winners will be announced on the Underwater New York website on February 23rd.
• Questions? Contact us at underwaternewyork (at) gmail (dot) com

Shipwreck Gallery

Thomas Chambers
Storm-Tossed Frigate
c. 1836-45
Oil on canvas
21 1/16 x 30 3/8 inches (53.5 x 77.2 cm)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
365-2008-4
Photo courtesy: Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

Thomas Chambers
Threatening Sky, Bay of New York
c. 1835-50
Oil on canvas
18 1/8 x 24 1/4 inches (46 x 61.6 cm)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
365-2008-5
Photo courtesy: Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

Thomas Chambers
Rockaway Beach, New York, with the Wreck of the Ship “Bristol”
c. 1837-40
Oil on canvas
21 3/4 x 30 3/8 inches (55.2 x 77.2 cm)
Indiana University Art Museum, Bloomington, IN
326-2008-3
Photo by Michael Cavanagh & Kevin Montague

Colette Murphy
“Poaching”
Acrylic & bleach on linen
36×60”
2009

Colette Murphy
“Home”
Acrylic & bleach on linen
46×60”
2009

Colette Murphy
“Great Island III”
Acrylic on linen
76×76”
2009

Adrian Kinloch
White Boat
Coney Island Creek

Adrian Kinloch
Green Boat
Dead Horse Bay

Adrian Kinloch
Ghost Ship and Steeplechase
Coney Island Creek

Adrian Kinloch
Ghost Ship 2
Coney Island Creek

Adrian Kinloch
Ghost Ship 3 and Tree
Coney Island Creek

Mary Mattingly
Sunken Ship 1

Mary Mattingly

Sunken Ship 2

Mary Mattingly
Sunken Ship 3

Share on Facebook

Tags: Adrian Kinloch, American Folk Art Museum, Colette Murphy, Contest, Mary Mattingly, Shipwreck