Founder and Chairman of the Art Renewal Center®, Ross is the leading authority on William Bouguereau and co-author of the published Catalogue Raisonné William Bouguereau: His Life and Works. Ross received his MA in art education from Columbia University. His speeches and essays are read by over 300,000 art professionals, educators, students and fans each year; and have become required reading in countless classrooms. He has given lectures and speeches at prominent venues including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sotheby’s NY, The Dahesh Museum, NY, the Berkshire Museum, MA, The Wadsworth Athenaeum, CT, the MEAM Museum, Barcelona, as well as university campuses among other venues. Ross is also a well-known collector of 19th Century European painting and of Contemporary Realism, being published in numerous magazine and newspaper articles including Forbes Magazine and Fine Art Connoisseur among others. Ross has also been a frequent Juror in numerous competitions and is an ARC Salon and ARC Scholarship judge.

Swanson has his PhD from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, England and was the Director of the Springville Museum of Art, Utah, where he has served for over 30 years. He is a lecturer/scholar/writer and expert on 19^th Century European Art and Russian Art through the 20^th Century. Swanson is the leading authority on Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema and John William Godward and author of the Catalogue Raisonnés for both artists. In total, the number of books Swanson has published is well into the teens.

Julie Bell is an ARC Living Master™ who was born in Beaumont, Texas. A former competitive bodybuilder, her knowledge of anatomy has allowed her to imbue her figures of humans and animals with grace and strength. Julie's work in the fantasy and science fiction field has appeared on hundreds of book covers, comic books, trading cards, and various collectibles. Every year, she and her husband, Boris Vallejo, produce the highly anticipated Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell Fantasy Calendar published by Workman. Julie Bell should also be singled out as winning the most awards in any one competition ARC has ever held, in the 2012-2013 Salon winning First Place in the Imaginative Realist Category, First and Third Place in the Animal Category, and five additional recognitions.

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James Hastie is a Senior Director of Christie's with over 24 years' experience in the 19^th Century European Paintings and Drawings department. Appointed a Director of Christie's London and Head of Christie's South Kensington's British and 19^th Century European Paintings department in 2000, he was instrumental in the redevelopment and success of that sale site. In 2006, James joined the New York team as a Senior Specialist supporting all areas of the team's business-getting activities and appointed Head of 19^th Century European Art in 2009. James has also been a Christie's sale and charity auctioneer for over 15 years.