New art center opens in iconic building in downtown Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Art is coming alive inside Scarab Creative Arts Center in downtown Fresno.

Artists have room to create, and now the space is open to the public.

"I always loved this building. I used to work here. My first job out of college was making stained glass windows here when it was Scarab Glassworks, which is why we kept the name Scarab because it's such an iconic place," said Maggie Courtis, owner of Scarab Creative Arts Center.

The art center is located off Divisadero and Broadway.

Scarab Glassworks stood at the corner for nearly 50 years, and now it has new life.

Courtis wasn't deterred by the pandemic and said it came together thanks to family and the art community.

"It's so exciting. All of us have our own pandemic stories. This is really, knowing this was coming together was both inspirational and motivational to our whole little community here," said Heather Hubbard, artist.

Many enjoyed working safely nearby others and sharing ideas.

The building features room for artists to work and store their pieces.

"I just wanted to be part of the art community and I also wanted the opportunity to teach classes. I'll be teaching wheel throwing classes and just be a part of the gift shop and be able to sell my work," said Hannah Desch, ceramic artist

The gift shop features locally made goods from vases to art pieces and jewelry. The building also has a gallery for artists to showcase their work.

They plan to hosts shows and fundraisers in the future.

The owner hopes Scarab will continue to house great art for decades to come.

The community can sign up for art classes. Scarab will host its first class, wheel throwing, on Sunday. This summer, they plan to hold classes for children.