John Balistreri (born 1962) is an American ceramic artist best known for his large-scale sculptures.

Born in Denver in 1962, Balistreri initially worked for his family greenhouse business, during which time he developed an interest in ceramics, building his first gas-fired kiln on the property.

[1] He obtained an associate degree from Colorado Mountain College,[2] and later went on to study fine art at Kansas City Art Institute in 1986, before pursuing a master's degree at Kent State University in 1988.

[3] He built a 30 ft kiln while at Kent State University, one of the largest in the country.

[1] In 1996, Balistreri was named 'Head of Ceramics' at Bowling Green State University,[4] with many of his students later becoming professors themselves.