Aviv Sheetrit is a potter whose love of clay stretches back to elementary school, when Kansas City ceramic artist Myrna Minnis, affectionately known as “the Oogly Lady,” introduced her to the joy of sculpting “Ooglies,” quirky little creatures that were so ugly they were cute. She returned to clay in 2018 when she began wheelthrowing at Claymakers community studio in Durham, NC.

Today, Aviv primarily creates functional wheel‑thrown ware and loves experimenting with surface decoration techniques like carving, wax or paper resist, slip trailing, layering glazes, and working with colored slips and underglazes. She spends much of her time at the Cary Arts Center, where she enjoys making new pieces in her local community studio. Outside the studio, Aviv works in fundraising and communications in Duke’s Division of Student Affairs.