Young Masters

What Young Masters does

Young Masters is a not-for-profit curatorial platform and international arts initiative, registered in the United Kingdom as Young Masters Art Award LLP and headquartered at Third Floor, 104-108 Oxford Street, London. Founded in 2009 by gallerist Cynthia Valianti Corbett, the organisation identifies and supports emerging artists whose work engages with art history and the art of the past. Its core product is the Young Masters Art Prize (six editions between 2009 and 2023), supplemented by sub-brands including the Maylis Grand Ceramics Prize (launched 2014), the Young Masters Emerging Women Award (launched 2017), and Focus on the Female (developed in 2021). The platform operates through exhibitions at partnered venues such as The Exhibitionist Hotel, Wimbledon Museum, and Royal Opera Arcade Gallery, alongside participation in international art fairs including London Art Fair, Collect (Crafts Council), Art Miami, LA Art Show, Art New York, and Expo Chicago.

The underlying technology stack is composed of standard, off-the-shelf services rather than proprietary systems: Squarespace for website and content management, ArtLogic for private views and online artwork sales, Eventbrite for event ticketing, CuratorSpace for open-call submissions, PayPal for donation processing, and Google Analytics for traffic tracking. Curatorial decisions are made by human juries and the founder, with no proprietary AI or ML components evidenced. The initiative has identified and championed more than 500 artists across its history and maintains an alumni network of nearly 300, supported by a mailing list reaching over 63,000 collectors, curators, and cultural professionals globally.

Revenue is generated through four diversified streams: a 50% commission on consigned artwork sales (works typically consigned for six months after exhibition close), recurring patron donations at a £100/year minimum, one-time entry fees of £25 per open-call submission, and exhibition sponsorship from named benefactors such as the Rudolph Blume Foundation, Dr Chris Blatchley, Maylis Grand, and The Brownhill Insurance Group. Young Masters enters its 17th year in 2026 with its first museum collaboration (Wimbledon Museum) and ongoing exhibitions including Line of Beauty and the Sweet 16 retrospective staged during Frieze Week 2025.

Name

Young Masters

Legal name

Young Masters Art Award LLP

Website

https://www.young-masters.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Young Masters is a London-based not-for-profit curatorial platform, founded in 2009 by gallerist Cynthia Valianti Corbett, that runs art prizes, exhibitions, and art-fair participations to support emerging artists inspired by art history.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Services / Curatorial Platform

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAAAA

Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Arts & Creative Enrichment (Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Dance)

Keywords

• Art prize competitions
• Emerging artist support
• Curatorial platform
• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Art fair participation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Art Sales Commission: Young Masters facilitates artwork sales during exhibitions with a 50% commission split to the organization and 50% to the artist. Works are typically consigned for six months after exhibition end.
2. Patron Donations: Annual patron donations starting at £100 per year, providing supporters with exclusive events, curator tours, complimentary art fair invitations, and recognition on the website.
3. Entry Fees: £25 per entry fee (no VAT) for open call submissions, with unlimited entries allowed per artist.
4. Exhibition Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship of exhibitions and prizes, such as the Rudolph Blume Foundation Acquisition Prize and Dr Chris Blatchley's Woman Artist Prize.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Young Masters is a not-for-profit curatorial platform that organizes juried art prizes, thematic exhibitions, and projects supporting emerging artists inspired by art history. It runs the Young Masters Art Prize (six editions 2009-2023), the Maylis Grand Ceramics Prize, the Emerging Women Award, and themed exhibitions such as Her Court, Line of Beauty, Focus on the Female, and For the Love of Art History, delivered through venue partnerships, art fair participation, and an online shop for artwork sales.

Product overview

Young Masters is a not-for-profit curatorial platform that supports emerging artists inspired by art history. The core offering consists of the Young Masters Art Prize (six editions 2009-2023), the Maylis Grand Ceramics Prize (launched 2014), and the Emerging Women Award (launched 2017). The platform operates through dynamic exhibition programmes including Her Court (museum collaboration with Wimbledon Museum 2026), Line of Beauty, Focus on the Female, and For the Love of Art History. Supporting offerings include the Patrons Network for donor support and an online Shop for artwork sales. Young Masters has identified and championed over 500 artists across eight editions, creating international visibility and career opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young Masters Art Prize: The core juried art prize competition for emerging artists inspired by art history.
• Young Masters Maylis Grand Ceramics Prize
• Young Masters Emerging Women Award
• Focus on the Female

Products and services

• Young Masters Art Prize Not-for-profit juried art prize for emerging artists whose work engages with art history and the art of the past. Six editions held in London between 2009 and 2023, identifying more than 500 artists.
• Young Masters Maylis Grand Ceramics Prize Ceramics-focused art prize added to the Young Masters programme in 2014, supported by collectors James and Maylis Grand, to recognise contemporary ceramic art practice.
• Young Masters Emerging Women Award Award launched in 2017 to recognise and support emerging women artists within the Young Masters programme.
• Her Court Exhibition Museum exhibition in collaboration with Wimbledon Museum exploring women's stories, achievement, identity and cultural influence through contemporary art, presented in the Norman Plastow Gallery.
• Line of Beauty Exhibition Exhibition of 2025 People's Choice Award winners Cristina Schek and Alexandra Baraitser at The Exhibitionist Hotel in South Kensington, displayed 24/7 in the hotel's Georgian setting.
• Focus on the Female

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 artists identified and championed across 8 editions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wimbledon MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Young Masters' first museum collaboration, presenting 'Her Court: The Role Wimbledon Played in the Suffragette Movement' exhibition (2-11 July 2026) in the Norman Plastow Gallery. The partnership brings contemporary artistic practice into dialogue with women's suffrage, local history, cultural memory and the museum's archives. Admission is free with ticketed talks and events.
• The Exhibitionist HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing venue partnership for exhibitions including 'Line of Beauty' (January-June 2026) showcasing People's Choice Award winners, and hosting the 'Precious Objects' ceramics showcase. The hotel's Georgian setting provides a refined environment for exhibiting contemporary art.
• Cynthia Corbett GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated gallery founded by Young Masters creator Cynthia Valianti Corbett, representing Young Masters artists internationally and participating in art fairs on behalf of the organization.
• Lady Jill Shaw Ruddock CBEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProminent collector and philanthropist serving as a judge for the Woman Artist Prize supported by Dr Chris Blatchley.
• Helen Pankhurst CBEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's rights activist and great-granddaughter of Emmeline Pankhurst, serving as a professional advisor and appearing at 'In Conversation' events for the Her Court exhibition.
• Crafts Council (Collect Art Fair)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnnual participation in the Crafts Council's prestigious Collect art fair at Saatchi Gallery, showcasing Young Masters ceramics artists.
• Royal Opera Arcade GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric gallery venue hosting Young Masters exhibitions during Frieze Week and Summer Exhibition periods since 2016.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bloomberg New Contemporaries: Long-running international prize supporting emerging artists within 5 years of graduating from UK art schools. Highly comparable curatorial platform for emerging artists with jury selection and touring exhibitions, though with a different selection mechanism (recent graduates) versus Young Masters' open-call approach.
• Jerwood Arts: UK arts charity funding and developing emerging artists across disciplines through prizes, fellowships, and commissions. Directly comparable not-for-profit model focused on early-career artist support and curatorial programming.
• New Blood Art: Online platform dedicated to selling and promoting emerging artists' work globally. Comparable online marketplace and emerging-artist development model with commission-based sales.
• The Ingram Prize: Annual prize for emerging UK-based artists organised by The Maytree / Ingram Collection. Directly comparable emerging-artist prize model with monetary awards and exhibition opportunities.
• The Arts Foundation: UK charity supporting artists through fellowships, awards, and prizes. Comparable not-for-profit artist-development model with similar funding mechanisms (patrons, sponsors, awards).

Broad incumbents

• Saatchi Gallery: Major London gallery exhibiting contemporary art with a longstanding focus on emerging international artists. Comparable emerging-art curation and exhibition programming, but at significantly larger scale and broader thematic scope.
• Affordable Art Fair: International art fair brand focused on affordable contemporary art (works under £10,000). Comparable emerging-art marketplace model and art fair distribution channel, though at much larger scale and broader artist scope.
• Crafts Council: National charity for contemporary craft, running the Collect art fair at Saatchi Gallery. Young Masters' partner and a broader incumbent in the crafts/contemporary-art space where Young Masters places its ceramics artists.
• Frieze: Major international art fair and media brand with deep presence in London (Frieze Week, where Young Masters has exhibited at Royal Opera Arcade Gallery). Comparable exhibition distribution and art-world reach at vastly larger scale.

Others

• Cynthia Corbett Gallery: Affiliate commercial gallery founded by Young Masters' founder Cynthia Valianti Corbett. Represents Young Masters alumni internationally and operates the art-fair distribution channel on behalf of the platform — making it both a strategic partner and a directly adjacent peer in the emerging-art market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Young Masters