Cynthia Valianti Corbett (b, Marlborough, MA, USA) holds a BA (Magna Cum Laude) in Political Science from UMASS Amherst and a MALD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She was the recipient of the 2020 Tufts University Alumni Award with a Career Service Citation in recognition of her achievements and contribution to the international art world. She trained as an art historian at Christie’s Education before establishing her gallery in 2004. Prior to this, she had a high-profile career as an international economist specialising in emerging markets, based in New York and London. Cynthia launched the Young Masters Art Prize in 2009, a unique not-for-profit initiative which celebrates artistic skill and innovation with awareness of the art from the past. The Young Masters Ceramics Prize was created in 2014 and 2017 saw the addition of the Young Masters Emerging Women Artist Award. She curated the post-pandemic art project, Focus on the Female in London during the summer 2021. This platform was designed to support women artists at a critical moment in art history. Most recently Cynthia co-curated with Daisy McMullan the 2022/23 Young Masters Exhibition at The Exhibitionist and Gainsborough Hotels in collaboration with Vestalia Chilton to raise funds for the Young Masters Art Prize 6th edition planned for 2023.

I have been in the insurance industry for 38 years now running a 3rd generation family business that has been trading for 43 years. I have been a collector since 2008 after launching our love art scheme; a niche product for art collectors and galleries, you could say that Art is my passion! Apart from being an avid collector, my other interests are travelling, theatre, golf and spending time with my family and my gorgeous grandson.

We believe in exceptional customer service and going the extra mile for our clients; providing them with the knowledge that what they love is fully covered.  

Wendy, a trained clinical psychologist, philanthropist, and an artist herself, is a life-long supporter of the arts and is engaged with cultural institutions around the world.  Wendy divides her time between New York, London, and South Africa where she was born. Wendy was a facilitator and a resource for the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and overseas the Kirsh Charitable Foundation. Wendy also founded the A4 Arts Foundation, a project space in Cape Town, dedicated to widening access to the arts in Southern Africa. Wendy’s board roles include Performa, Public Art Fund, Tate International Council, and MoMA PS1. Wendy has received numerous recognitions including: the Freedom of the City of London award in recognition of her contribution to the arts. Wendy’s sculpture was featured in the London Olympic Village and Performa named her one of their Renaissance Women of 2014.

She began collecting at the age of twenty when she earned her first paycheck; her first acquisition was a work by the young, then-unknown artist William Kentridge, who was a friend she wanted to support.  Since then she has devoted herself to supporting the work of artists from the countries where she spends her time, as well as emerging, mid-career, and established artists from all over the world. 

Her tremendous and most generous donation towards the administrative and publishing costs of the Young Masters Art Prize 2019 is helping us achieve an outstanding level of execution of our not-for-profit international initiative during this 10th anniversary year.

He generously supports the Prize from 2017 and has again generously donated the money for the Young Masters Emerging Woman Artist Award (previously Emerging Woman Art Prize).

Dr Blatchley is Director of The Glass House Opticians, founder of Capital Aesthetics, and Medical Director of The London Migraine Clinic. 

Mike Masterson is an entrepreneur and executive with over thirty years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and advanced materials industries. His career has focused on building sustainable companies as a CEO, BOD Chairman, and Venture Capital partner. Mike received an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder, a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and completed the Harvard Business School OwnerPresident Management (OPM) Program. He also received the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award from both the University of Colorado and the University of Massachusetts. Additionally, Mike has served on the Board of Trustees, including five years as Chairman, at Wentworth Institute of Technology (Hon. DE 2018) in Boston, MA. He is also currently an Investment Committee Member for the Maroon Venture Partner Fund at UMass Amherst

Brad Blume is the President of Tennis Express in Houston, Texas, and is a Tony and Olivier Award-winning producer, as well as a theatrical and art entrepreneur.

Godfrey Barker is a notable art historian and journalist. He is currently the arts correspondent for The Evening Standard and a contributing editor of ES Magazine. Barker has also written for leading newspapers including The Guardian, The Times, The Economist and The Daily Telegraph. Barker lectures for Sotheby’s and Christie’s and has published, “Vanity Fair: The Rich and the Price of Art” (2008), a book that he is currently adapting for a TV series.

I have been in the insurance industry for 38 years now running a 3rd generation family business that has been trading for 43 years. I have been a collector since 2008 after launching our love art scheme; a niche product for art collectors and galleries, you could say that Art is my passion! Apart from being an avid collector, my other interests are travelling, theatre, golf and spending time with my family and my gorgeous grandson. We are extremely proud to have sponsored the incredible Young Masters for 12 of its 14 years, supporting emerging artists as they begin their creative journey. Over the years, we have seen some truly inspiring work come to life and have loved working alongside Cynthia and her incredible team who have helped new talent and celebrate artistic excellence.