Jacksonville, AL — As frst reported by Brett Buckner with the JSU media department, Jacksonville State University Associate Professor of Ceramics John Oles has been elected to the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC), joining one of the most respected global organizations dedicated to ceramic arts. Nominated in June and officially elected in October, Oles is now one of 219 individual artists from 59 countries selected for membership in the academy’s professional artist category.
Founded in 1952 and based in Geneva, the IAC works to promote collaboration, cultural exchange, and excellence within the international ceramics community. The organization currently includes more than 1,200 members from 89 countries, making it the only association devoted solely to ceramic arts operating at a global scale.
Oles said he was humbled by the invitation to join the academy.
“I was honored to be invited and to be included in the company of some of my heroes and mentors,” he said. “The longer I work in this field, the more comfortable I am participating in the dialogue of contemporary ceramics with artists I’ve always looked up to.”
Membership opens the door to specialized opportunities, including international artist residencies, exhibitions, and programs that often reserve spaces specifically for IAC members. Some residencies are fully funded and include travel, giving artists broad access to global resources and experiences.
Oles has participated in several international residencies throughout his career, including programs in Iceland, France, and China. He said those experiences have played a major role in shaping his studio practice.
“Looking back, any time that my artwork has gone through a major shift, it’s usually the result of research and time spent at one of these international residences,” he said.
As part of his induction, Oles will travel to Jingdezhen, China, next June for the IAC New Member ceremony. The academy will also hold its Biennial Congress there, hosted by Jingdezhen Ceramics University. Oles recently spent six weeks in the city during an artist residency and said he is eager to return.
“I absolutely fell in love with the rich history and culture of China and the Chinese people while I was there,” he said. “I can’t wait to go back, especially now that I know my way around better and I have some friends there.”
Oles has taught ceramics at JSU for 10 years, but his path to clay was unexpected. As an art student at UMass-Dartmouth in the 1990s, he initially pursued illustration before shifting to painting—then finally discovering ceramics through a 3D design class. What began as curiosity quickly became passion, especially after firing his first wood kiln, a Japanese-style anagama built by his professor, Chris Gustin.
He recalls an early-morning kiln shift during a multi-day firing as the moment he realized ceramics would be his life’s work.
“It was at that exact moment I knew, somehow, I was going to do this for the rest of my life,” he said. “Needless to say, my parents were not pleased.”
For Oles, election to the IAC is both an honor and a milestone.
“This is one of those things I usually see happening for other people but not me,” he said. “In a sense, it was very much a validation of a life’s work—or at least an honor to be given a seat at the table.”
