Step inside Studio 12, Hatteras Island’s only working art studio, and meet their new Soundside Collection! An array of handcrafted pottery awash in a curated color palette of blues and teals with rose and gold accents, The Soundside Collection is reminiscent of a Hatteras waterscape, a little piece of island life ready for you to take home.
It’s beautiful on its own, but the thing that is really cool about this collection is how it was crafted and its level of customization, taking creativity to a new level of collaboration and community.
Over the winter, Studio 12 owner Dawn Eskins began offering pottery classes to local artists. She quickly realized their talent, and as the artists progressed, an idea occurred: What if this led to a collection? A piece of the earth shaped by Hatteras Island hands is a tactile, tangible memory of this special place that benefits both the community and visitors – a full-circle artistic symbiosis.
Items in The Soundside Collection include mugs, vases, plates, spoon rests, flower frogs, trinket dishes, shell dishes and yarn bowls and are also available in bare bisque for you to customize in-studio in the color palette of your choice.
The Soundside Collection is available online exclusively through shoptheobx.com or you can shop in person.
Studio 12’s gift shop is stocked with all-local art (including the latest ocean-inspired paintings by Dawn), but they are also a working studio offering one-of-a-kind art experiences. Extended classes are available to learn pottery throwing, and Clay Dates remain a popular option to get your hands on a pottery wheel during your visit.
Studio 12 offers many other artistic options as well. Check out their glass fusion projects such as night lights, wine stoppers, pendants and sun catchers; these can be created with no appointment.
Or try their candle bar to craft an ocean-inspired candle, which is then heat-sealed by the artist-interns at Studio 12.
A variety of makers’ classes are offered as well, such as wire-wrapped jewelry, decoupage, watercolors and more.
Art connects people. Whether you are looking for a fun, creative experience at a working studio, a personally made souvenir of your visit or to take a locally crafted piece of Hatteras Island home, Avon’s Studio 12 welcomes you into its ecosystem of creative collaboration.
Boba is Popping at Swept Away Cafe
A springtime celebration for your taste buds, boba’s colorful bursts come in fruity flavors as well as tapioca. You can get them at Swept Away Café, along with acai bowls and a well-stocked, dedicated gluten-free selection of bakery items. Lattes, frappes, coffees and teas are available too, and be sure to try their breakfast sandwiches, which are new this year.
(252) 995-7899
studio12avon.com
41008 NC Highway 12, Avon
About the Author Heather Frese
Heather Frese fell in love with the Outer Banks when she was three years old. She grew up camping every summer on Hatteras Island, and her writing is deeply influenced by the history and wild beauty of the area. Her debut novel, The Baddest Girl on the Planet, won the Lee Smith Novel Prize and is set on Hatteras Island. 
