The week’s news in the ceramic art world – May 25, 2026

👌 Artists are invited to apply to THROW/BACK, the 2027 NCECA Annual Exhibition, curated by Adriana Proser and Ellen Hoobler and presented at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, from March 10 to June 6, 2027. Running alongside CHARM, the 61st NCECA conference, the exhibition explores how ceramic artists navigate continuity and change, preserving and transforming forms, materials, and cultural histories across time. Open to artists from around the world, the call welcomes applicants aged 18 and older working primarily with clay, including mixed-media and selected video works where ceramic processes remain central. The deadline to apply is June 17, 2026. NCECA members may apply free of charge, while non-members pay a $50 entry fee.

🏅 Emerging ceramic artists in the United States are invited to apply for the 2026 Chrysalis Award, presented by the James Renwick Alliance for Craft. Now in its 10th year, the award supports artists in the early stages of their careers who demonstrate excellence and a strong commitment to developing their practice. This year’s edition focuses on ceramics, with the recipient receiving a $5,000 unrestricted award, a one-year JRACraft membership, and the opportunity to present their work at a JRACraft event. Applications close August 23, 2026.

🎓 The Gardiner Museum presents the International Ceramic Art Fair (ICAF) from May 28 to August 16 in Toronto, expanding its biennial programme from a 10-day event into a 12-week platform exploring contemporary ceramics through art, design, technology, and community. Centered on the theme “the city and the commons,” the fair brings together Canadian and international artists, including Ronald Rael, Sharif Farrag, Hadi Jamali, Jolie Ngo, Christine Howard Sandoval, and Anders Herwald Ruhwald, alongside exhibitions and workshops. Highlights include the ICAF Symposium (May 29–30), featuring keynote speaker Ronald Rael on emerging technologies and ancestral building practices, as well as panels examining ceramics, architecture, and shared space.

⏳ The Ceramics Research Centre-UK, in partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum, invites audiences to Permanence/Impermanence: Collecting & Archiving Contemporary Clay Practices, taking place at the University of Westminster, London, from June 24–26, 2026. The three-day conference explores how ephemeral, site-specific, participatory, and live clay practices can be collected, archived, and made accessible to future audiences. Speakers include Florence Peake, Louisa Buck, Alun Graves, Phoebe Cummings, Clare Twomey, Natalie Baerselman le Gros, Tessa Peters, Nicole Seisler, Ashley Thorpe, and others. Tickets cost £25.

⭐ Australian ceramic artists have two major award deadlines coming up. The North Queensland Ceramic Awards 2026, held at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in Townsville, invites entries for its biennial exhibition and offers a $10,000 acquisitive major prize, alongside several additional awards. Entries close July 7, 2026. In Victoria, the Clunes Ceramic Award 2026 is also open, with a $10,000 major prize. Finalists will be exhibited in Clunes from October 4 to November 1, 2026, with entries closing August 9, 2026.

🏮 Young artists worldwide are invited to apply for the 14th Shiwan Cup International Youth Ceramic Sculpture and Architectural Ceramic Art Competition, organized by the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC) and the Guangdong Shiwan Ceramics Museum. Open to applicants aged 18–45, this year’s competition responds to the theme Where Ends Begin. A total of 100 works will be shortlisted, with awards including a Grand Prize of ~$26,000 and additional prizes across several categories. Applications are free and open until August 31, 2026.

☀️ Our friends at The Kiln Rooms in London are hosting their Summer Ceramic Sale on June 5-7, bringing together over 80 local artists and designers across their Copeland Park and Bellenden Road studios. Visitors can discover handmade ceramics, meet the makers, and see where the work is created. All pieces will be for sale, directly supporting their practices, with 5% of sales donated to FiredUp4. The event is free and family- and dog-friendly.