Young Masters: For the Love of Art History - Call for Artists

Deadline: 31/10/2024

City: London  |  Region: London  |  Country: United Kingdom  |  Young Masters Art Prize

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Young Masters’ latest project is an open call for an exhibition of works on the theme of ‘for the love of art history’, selected and curated by Director and Founder of Young Masters, Cynthia Valianti Corbett. We’re looking for artists who are inspired by their own love of art history to submit their work on this theme via the CuratorSpace platform until 31 October 2024.

The theme is inspired by Corbett’s own love of art history; a lifelong passion for the old masters, and the art of the past.

From masterpieces such as Fragonard’s flirtatious vignette ‘The Swing’, to Klimt’s ‘The Kiss’, or Watteau’s ‘The Scale of Love’ art history offers numerous examples of romantic love.

The theme could also be extended to platonic, or religious love, passion, devotion.

Above all, love is the most human of emotions, and art possibly the most human of ways to express it. 

We’re looking for artists who are inspired by their own love of art history to submit their work on this theme via the CuratorSpace platform until 31 October 2024.

We are also delighted to announce that two prizes will be offered to artists selected for the exhibition; an acquisition award, from art collector Brad Blume, and a women's artist prize, given by Dr Chris Blatchley (to be announced at our Valentine's Day Jazz Reception on 13 February 2025). 

  • We will choose up to 30 artworks from all the submissions to be part of the exhibiton at The Exhibitionist Hotel in South Kensington from 14 January - end March 2025. 
  •  The maximum size for 2D work is up to 100cm in any direction.
  • The maximum size for 3D work is up to 60cm in any direction for max size for 3d, max size for 2d work (ready to hang/display), any medium (up to 60cm in any direction for 3d works, or 1m for 2d work.
  • Work should be suitable for public display in a hotel environment.
  • Work should respond to the theme ‘for the love of art history’ – this could be about desire, romantic or platonic love, a love of an artist’s work that inspires you, etc.
  • Artists will need to send or bring their own work to the Exhibitionist Hotel on 13 January 2025. Work will be covered by our insurance once it reaches YM care.
  • It costs £25 to submit to this opportunity, with one work per entry allowed. Artists may enter as many times as they wish.
  • Entries are accepted via CuratorSpace only.


Entries are accepted from artists based anywhere in the world, but work must reach the hotel in time to be included (either using an agent or in-person delivery).

Works are insured by Cynthia Corbett Gallery insurance once they are received into our care.

Entries will be selected for the exhibition by YM founder and director Cynthia Valianti Corbett.

Works must be available for sale, (with a  commission of 50% to Young Masters and 50% to artist. Any discounts will be shared equally), so please include the retail price of the work including commission with your submission.Works will be consigned to Young Masters for six months after the end of the exhibition (until end September 2025).

Submission fees

The following submission fees apply to this opportunity.

  • Submission fee - 25.00 GBP

The appropriate fee will be payable using a debit or credit card after the first submission has been completed. If the submission fee allows you to submit more than once, you will be able to make further submissions after the first. Contact the curator if you have any questions about the opportunity or the submission fee, or email help@curatorspace.com if you have any questions about the payment process.

Make a submission Contact the curator
Who is eligible for this opportunity?
Any artist aged over 18. Artists can be based anywhere in the world, working in any media. Work must be made since January 2022.
When is the deadline?
Please submit by midnight UK time on 31 October 2024.
How many works can I submit?
You can submit one work per entry. You can apply as many times as you like, but you will need to complete a new entry for each work you wish to submit. Diptychs and Triptychs/multipart works count as one submission but must be within the size limit.
When is the delivery date?
Work should arrive at the hotel on 13 January 2025.
When do I need to collect my work?
Work will be held in our storage facility for the six months aftersales period. We will notify you before July 2025 when and how to pick up your work.
How much does it cost?
The entry fee is £25 per submission.
Is there a private view / opening?
Yes, the private view is scheduled for 16 January 2025.
When is the exhibition and what are the exhibition opening hours?
The exhibition will run from 14 January 2025 until the end of March 2025 (final date to be confirmed). The exhibition will be on display during the venue opening hours; 10 am - 10 pm
Do I need to be present?
No, you do not need to be present but we would love to welcome artists whose work has been selected to the private view!
How do you decide on proposals?
Submissions will be reviewed and selected by Young Masters founder and director Cynthia Valianti Corbett.
What are the selection criteria?
We are looking for work by emerging artists in response to the theme 'for the love of art history'.
What is Young Masters?
Our mission is to support emerging artists from across the world, bringing their work to a wider audience through artist opportunities, a programme of pop-up exhibitions and international art fairs, as well as maintaining a vibrant online presence that showcases our wide network of hundreds of talented artists. This global visibility and support can be career-making and life-changing, with opportunities for sales, exhibitions, gallery representation, press, and much more.

Young Masters is a not-for-profit international initiative which was launched in 2009 by gallerist Cynthia Valianti Corbett, founder of Cynthia Corbett Gallery.

This unique initiative highlights emerging artists of any gender, age, or nationality working in any media whose work responds to the art of the past. Between 2009 - 2023, six editions of the Young Masters Art Prize took place in London. Each edition was judged by an independent jury of art world experts and found winners from across the world, including Ghost of a Dream (USA), Juergen Wolf (Germany) and Azita Moradkhani (Iran).

In 2014 the Young Masters Maylis Grand Ceramic Prize was added to focus more attention on the growing interest in the collection of contemporary craft, with the inaugural edition crowning Matt Smith (UK) as the winner.

2017 saw the launch of the inaugural Young Masters Emerging Women Award. The fifth edition and 10th Anniversary Exhibition of the Prize took place in October 2019.

Focus on the Female was developed in 2021 as an artistic and philanthropic response to the impact of the COVID pandemic on women. Focus on the Female continues as a regular project within Cynthia Corbett Gallery’s exhibition programme.

The sixth edition in 2023 was an incredibly successful edition, with a record number of winners receiving prizes and awards, many of whom were women artists.

Young Masters continues as a curatorial platform, with a mission to support emerging artists who are inspired by the art of the past to sell work, reach new collectors and exhibit their work to new audiences.

You can find out more at our website www.young-masters.co.uk/home
Are you offering any awards or prizes?
Yes, we will be announcing a Woman Artist Prize supported by Dr Chris Blatchley, and an Acquisition Prize supported by the Rudolph Blume Foundation as part of the exhibition.
Does my work have to be for sale?
Yes, all submitted work needs to be available for sale, as proceeds help to support our initiative. All sales are split equally 50% to the artist and 50% to Young Masters.

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