I ran across a gem in the Marietta arts business world this week. It's the 43,000-square-foot Artisan Resource Center - and I never knew it existed.

The center is housed in a 60-year-old blue warehouse and was established in 1986 as the "Nunn Complex Fine and Functional Art Center." Nunn refers to former owner Barney Nunn, who housed a cabinet business there - but the name changed in 2001 to express a more representative identity. The center houses 28 studios and was established so artists could have a business plying their trade and make a living at it.

It's working.

There are 28 studios with artists and craftsmen working in the fields of sculpture, screen printing, furniture making, photography, painting, ceramics, woodturning, textiles, architecture, decorative arts, jewelry, graphics, advertising, special effects and theater.

Sharing artistic information

Wow, what a find! Hidden behind a bowling alley and next to a car wash, these creative folks share information and keep each other updated on shows and new techniques; as well as share business contacts and opportunities. One client can follow the progress of a multi-media job by just walking from studio to studio. And those studios are just as unique as the artists themselves.

I took a tour with woodturner Nick Cook and met Andre Freitas, who owns AFX Studios, where I was greeted with life-size creations of movie and TV characters dressed in elaborate custom costuming created by Freitas, who was one of the first tenants when the building opened to artists. Whether it's designing dinosaurs for the Fernbank Science Center or metal wrestling belts for the WWE, Freitas says it's a great place to stretch your creative imagination.

Academy Award winners

"I've had Academy Award winners come to my shop to work with me on my designs for their movies," said Freitas, who lives in east Cobb and said he likes working close to home instead of somewhere in California.

There is no public foot traffic at the center, but it does open annually the weekend before Thanksgiving to let the public tour the facilities and enjoy live performances and gallery events. Many of the artists, such as Freitas, have expanded their shops over the years, adding more storage or creative space, and like the fact that it's a quiet place where creative juices can flow without interruptions.

Marietta should be proud to host such an eclectic community. I will definitely be back in November to enjoy all the arts, craftsmanship and entertainment under one roof and inside the ornate red door. And, yes, even the doors look creative.

For more information, visit www.Artisan ResourceCenter.net.