John Balistreri

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John Balistreri (b. 1962) a ceramic artist best known for his large scale sculptures. He is currently an associate Professor of Art and the head of the ceramic program at Bowling Green State University.

Balistreri was raised in Denver Colorado. He grew up in his parent’s greenhouses, where the family grew cut flowers. He began to work with Ceramics at Thornton High School under Gail Matheson in 1978, he graduated in 1980. In 1982 he received an associate’s degree in business from Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, He also built his ceramic studio on his parents property near Denver that same year.

In 1983 Balistreri attended Alfred University and studied with Wayne Higby and Val Cushing. From 1984-86 Balistreri attended the Kansas City Art Institute where he received his BFA While at KCAI he studied with Ken Ferguson, Victor Babu and George Timock. From 1986-88 Balistreri worked with Kirk Mangus at Kent State University in Ohio where he received his MFA.

During the summer of 1987 he returned to his studio in Denver and built a large Anagama wood burning kiln. After graduate school, Balistreri returned to the Denver studio and began to make large scale work that was woodfired. During the period between 1988 and 1996 he worked as a studio artist and occasionally taught ceramics at the University of Denver and Front Range Community College. He also worked as a technician at the Robinson Brick Company.