Jill Averitt

Art has been a lifelong companion, guiding me through decades of creative work across painting, cake decorating, costume and interior design, basketry, and graphic design. For the past ten years, I’ve focused on pottery and sculpture, blending natural elements into both functional and narrative ceramic work.

My pottery often incorporates textures and impressions from the woods near my house—leaves, stones, and wood found on my hikes—while my sculptural pieces, or “castles,” tells a story—sometimes dreamy, sometimes rooted in a real moment—and they’re adorned with treasures gathered from the natural world: feathers, stones, driftwood, and dried blooms, all tucked in after the final glaze like secrets left behind.

I hold a degree in graphic design from the Savannah College of Art and Design and spent years as an art director, a creative collaborator, and an activist for causes close to my heart. Now, I’m lucky to be part of the McGuffey Art Center in Charlottesville and to have co-founded the Rockfish Artist Collective (RAC) pottery studio at RVCC. I’ve taught adult classes at City Clay and children m’s classes at the RAC studio—watching the next generation of artists discover the magic of making art. I currently work in my own private studio developing a new series inspired by my travels to Mexico.