The week’s news in the ceramic art world – August 12, 2026

👌 We’re hiring! Ceramics Now is looking for a Freelance Editorial Assistant to help us publish artist profiles and introduce the work of more ceramic artists to our international readership. This is a remote freelance position for approximately 8 hours per week, with flexibility around when those hours are worked. Compensation is $15-25/hour, depending on experience and location. The role could work particularly well alongside an artistic practice, studies, or other freelance work.

🙌 There’s only one month left to submit your work for Ceramics Now Annual, our new flagship publication launching this December (when we also celebrate 16 years of Ceramics Now). Published in print and digital editions, the Annual will feature at least 20 artists selected through an international open call, with the digital edition free to read. Open to ceramic artists worldwide, the call has no fixed theme. Selected artists will receive a dedicated profile in the Annual, online and newsletter visibility, and permanent archival presence on Ceramics Now. We look forward to receiving your applications by September 15, 2026. Submission fee: $15.

🖼️ The Jane Hartsook Gallery at Greenwich House Pottery is accepting exhibition proposals for its 2027–2028 season. Open to artists and curators working with ceramics as the primary medium, the call welcomes solo, group, and curatorial proposals that reflect the wide-ranging possibilities of clay across art, craft, and design. Selected exhibitions will take place between August 2027 and May 2028, with each exhibition on view for approximately six weeks. Applicants must be 21 or older and not currently enrolled in an education program. Proposals are due September 1, 2026.

📍 Artists are invited to apply to OPEN STUDIO 2026, the second International Contemporary Ceramics Prize organized by Fondazione Cèramica Montelupo for the Cèramica Festival in Montelupo Fiorentino, Italy. The main prize is €2,000, with additional cash prizes, two artist residency awards, scholarships, special mentions, and partner prizes also available. Applications are due October 19, 2026.

🍵 Applications are also open for the 10th International Modern Teapot Art Biennial, taking place in Wuxi, China, from November 19–23, 2026. Works submitted through the global open call will primarily be considered for the Global Modern Teapot Art Exhibition. Selected participants receive accommodation, meals, local transport, access to official events, and a cultural visit to Yixing, the birthplace of Zisha teapot culture. Submissions close October 11, 2026.

🤝 Artists based in the UK are invited to apply for the British Ceramics Biennial Mentorship Programme 2026/27, open to early-career creatives working in clay who feel they face barriers to career progression or accessing professional networks. The free online programme will support up to seven artists from October 2026 to February 2027 through mentoring sessions, a bespoke artist film, promotion, peer networking, and support from the BCB team. Applications are due September 15, 2026.

👉 Earthworks and Gertrude are inviting applications for a three-month ceramics residency in London. The residency offers time, studio access, and community for the development of a new body of small-scale ceramic work, alongside six months of free membership at Gertrude. The programme is free to apply to and free to participate in, with shared studio facilities and firings included, though accommodation and materials are not provided. Residency periods run from November 2026 to January 2027 and from February to April 2027. Applications are due September 21, 2026.

🗿 Artists able to work on-site in London can also apply for County Hall Pottery’s new landmark ceramic commission. The competition will select one artist to create a permanent outdoor ceramic sculpture for the historic courtyards of County Hall. Proposals should be figurative, human or animal, respond to the theme of peace, and be made primarily in ceramic. The selected artist will receive a £10,000 commission fee, four months of studio space, kiln access, materials, and technical support. Applications are due September 6, 2026.

🎓 The Taoxichuan Art Center Residency Program in Jingdezhen is accepting applications for its 2027 Migratory Bird Program. Open to all artists working with ceramics, glass materials, woodworking, painting, and other composite materials, the residency invites artists to explore Jingdezhen’s ceramic traditions and contemporary art ecosystem. Residency periods are available between February 2027 and January 2028, with a minimum duration of eight weeks. Applicants will be reviewed in three categories: Invited Artists, Half Self-funded Artists, and Self-funded Artists, with support ranging from accommodation and studio space to travel reimbursement and a creation grant. Applications close August 28, 2026. Interested applicants should contact residencyjdz@outlook.com

📙 Book recommendation: Handwork: Handcrafted Objects that Made America [Craft in America]. Craft in America presents a compelling and essential portrait of American culture through an extraordinary range of handmade objects. The book is a visually stunning, deeply inspiring celebration of America’s spirit through ordinary, surprising, and overlooked handcrafted objects spanning more than 250 years. Edited by Emily Zaiden, director and lead curator of the Craft in America Center, with a foreword by Carol Sauvion, the visionary behind the Peabody Award–winning PBS series Craft in America, this book is part of a sweeping national initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Find the book on Bookshop .org (US) or Amazon (world).