Young Masters Art Prize
Founded by AWITA Member Cynthia Valianti Corbett
Cynthia Corbett, photo by Emma Pratte
We spoke with AWITA Member Cynthia Corbett, director of the Cynthia Corbett Gallery and founder of the not-for-profit Young Masters Art Prize. A native of Marlborough, Massachusetts, and now based in London, UK, Cynthia created Young Masters in 2009, inspired by her love for art history and passion for showcasing emerging artists from all over the world. Young Masters encourages emerging and mid-career contemporary artists to look back to the art of the past for inspiration.
Since its inception, the Prize has grown into a respected initiative that has launched many artists’ careers. The Young Masters Maylis Grand Ceramics Prize was added in 2014, and the Young Masters Emerging Woman Artist Prize launched in 2017. Past winners of the prize have shown at some of the world’s most prestigious art fairs, been acquired and exhibited by institutions, and developed new collectors for their work.
What inspired you to create the Young Masters Art Prize?
I founded the Young Masters Art Prize in 2009 because I felt at the time, it was important not only to nurture young artistic talent, but also to reflect on the lessons of the past in the face of uncertain economic and political times. Fourteen years later, this endeavour is even more crucial with the tumultuous effects of the Pandemic, War in Ukraine, and the rising cost of living. Afterall, how can we explain the world today without learning lessons from history, and in particular art history? Art is universal, powerful and an expression of the times in which we live. I really believe that emerging artists today require as much support as possible to launch and sustain their careers.
What are some key things that judges look for when deciding the winner of the Young Masters Art Prize?
There are two overwhelmingly important qualities the judges look for. The first is originality, particularly when an artwork is responding to, or in dialogue with the art of the past; how does an artist distinguish themselves from what has gone before?
Judge Sadie Clayton, a sculptor and TV personality recently said she is looking for ‘a strong visual narrative, a strong idea of concepts, originality and authenticity. I want to see a concept that has been built into this piece of work, I want it to be inspiring, to look at it and remember it forever.’
The other important quality of a Young Master artist is their voice, and how they reflect their personality and experiences in their work. Annie Warburton, CEO of Cockpit Studios, and a judge for this year’s Young Masters Maylis Grand Ceramics Prize commented that:
‘If you look at other artists who have gone through Young Masters in the past, all of them have that really distinctive, creative voice. Of course, unpinning that, there needs to be technical skill in ceramics as well.’
What role do you believe the Young Masters Art Prize plays in bridging the gap between past artistic traditions and contemporary artistic expressions?
By considering contemporary art through a historical lens, Young Masters recognises the value of artists reinterpreting the influence of the art of the past. It’s also worth noting that when we talk about the art of the past, we’re not just talking about the Old Master canon, or Western Art, but art from any culture. Previously, shortlisted artists have been inspired by everything from African sculpture, Korean traditions of ceramics, to Chinese calligraphy.
What are your aspirations for the future of the Young Masters prize?
In the future, we’d love to secure a major donor, someone we can work with to take the prize to the next level. We’d love to be a major, global award that is recognised as a seal of approval for emerging artists.
We also want to continue showcasing the best emerging talent from across the world at the best, most prestigious art fairs, and make sure artists are selling so they can keep on making work. We also want to carry on placing works in private and public collections and providing curatorial support to artists so that they can secure international museum shows.
The thing that I am most passionate about is highlighting diversity, whether that’s women artists – whom we support through an Emerging Woman Artist Award and our ongoing curatorial platform ‘focus on the female’, or championing diaspora artists, artists of colour and artists who identify as LGBTQ+.
I love seeing artists apply and their careers launching far beyond what they thought could happen. I want to carry on making dreams come true!
The deadline to apply for the Young Masters Art Prize has been extended to 9 July 2023. The Young Masters Art Prize will be judged by an esteemed panel of experts including: Jean Wainwright (academic, University of Creative Arts), Roland Cowen (architect at Cowen + Cowen, philanthropist and collector), Ruth Millington (Sotheby’s Institute, career and development and art critic and author), Sadie Clayton (artist, children’s TV presenter of BBC show Britain’s Best Young Artist, influencer), Kimathi Donkor (artist and academic, University of the Arts London), and Brad Blume (collector, philanthropist, theatre producer).
An interview with Annie Warburton, Writer, Presenter and CEO of Cockpit Arts can be found here. She joins as a judge for for the Young Masters Maylis Grand Ceramics Prize this year.
More information can be found on the website https://www.young-masters.co.uk/