Ekphrastic Writing Contest Gets Students Thinking Outside the Box

A cloud can have countless different interpretations shaped by an individual’s outlook. This year History and Social Sciences Professor Nikki Gonzalez put that thought to the test by hosting an Ekphrastic Writing Contest, where students, faculty, and staff had the opportunity to write a narrative inspired by a work of art.  

The project was part of the College’s Year of Aesthetics, a collaborative, campus-wide exploration of how beauty, form, and meaning shape human experience. The Year of Aesthetics was launched by the History and Social Sciences Department at the beginning of the Fall 2025 semester.  

“The Year of Aesthetics really inspired me, as it strives to invite us all to examine our relationship with our physical world,” said Gonzalez. “Hosting an ekphrastic contest seemed like an obvious choice. Not only does using a piece of artwork as a writing prompt stimulate creative energies, but ekphrastics also fascinates me psychologically.  I am delighted to see how each individual is uniquely affected by the same piece of art.” 

Participants were sent a photo of a piece of artwork created by a Middlesex College art student and had 24 hours to submit a short story or poem of 250 words or less. There were two contests over the 2025–26 school year: the Fall contest featured art by Cypress Wilde ’26 and the Spring featured art by Annelise Mejias. 

The fast turnaround time required quick thinking, said student Viviana Ly. 

“Working under a tight deadline of only 24 hours and trying to stand out with the same prompt as everyone else pushed me to experiment with ideas I normally wouldn’t have tried,” said Ly, who won first place in the Spring ekphrastic contest. “I decided to enter the contest because I felt like I was stuck in a bit of a creative rut. I wanted to test my skills, see what other people were cooking up, and honestly, just prove to myself that I could do it.” 

Ly won for her piece titled The Weight of Being Human, in which she reflects on the turmoil that each of us goes through and how even in silence, our thoughts can feel so loud. 

Gonzalez hopes to make the contest a regularly occurring event to bring those from all disciplines together to challenge themselves and collectively create art. 

“Challenges like this matter so much,” said Ly. “They pull you out of your comfort zone, break up the daily routine, and give you a real reason to just create and connect with other people doing the same thing.” 

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Congratulations to the Contest Winners 

Fall Ekphrastic Contest 

First Place: Aarzoo Brahmbhatt, Ocean Remembers 

Second Place: Rebecca Deally, Last Entry of Dr. Sheil on Extermination Voyage 489 

Third Place: Connor Beatrice, Rot 

View the Fall 2025 challenge flip book

Spring Ekphrastic Contest 

First Place: Viviana Ly, The Weight of Being Human 

Second Place: Michelle Bista, Distraught 

Third Place: Cherno Bah, Sensory Overload 

View the Spring 2026 challenge flip book