Commercial real estate agent Jim Freeman of Port Orchard has a rather unique approach to creating jobs and wealth in Kitsap County.

Freeman’s idea is to establish an association of artists and small manufacturers — the Artist and Production Partners LLC — whose members would work together to turn out value-added products for sale to markets the world over.

The association would enable artists, primary producers, selected retailers and specialty goods manufactures to share resources and collectively build stronger enterprises. It eventually would be housed in a facility dubbed the “Metamorphosis Arts Center.”

“Say for example we have 10 local artists, who, combined produce $350,000 in annual sales,” Freeman says. “What if through Metamorphosis we can goose those sales by five times that amount through collaboration and finding new markets. Wouldn’t that create new jobs and help the local economy?”

Today, few such opportunities exist in Kitsap County, which finds itself slipping farther and farther behind the rest of the state in creating primary jobs and new businesses.

“We have the second lowest job creation rate in the state,” Freeman says of Kitsap County. “Close to 40 percent of the work force has to commute outside the county every day to work. Younger people looking for advanced education or career opportunities most often need to look outside the county as well. You could say we export labor and import manufactured goods, food products and many services.”

“Truth is we have everything we need right here,” Freeman says. “We just need to think differently about it. The first step is to change our thinking.”

The Metamorphosis Center, to be located in Port Orchard, is Freeman’s way of jump-starting Kitsap’s stagnant economy without having to import new jobs and companies.

From Freeman’s perspective, Kitsap County artists and producing enterprises need a better approach to creating wealth, which is what primary employers such as Leader International in Port Orchard, Watson Furniture Systems in Poulsbo and Animal Intelligence in Silverdale do every day.

Wealth, economists tell us, is created in two ways: by transforming materials into useful products and by organizing labor by intelligent means — the so-called “division of labor.”

“In other words,” says Freeman, “we need to help talented business owners create great products, sell them and do so at the lowest possible cost.”

Freeman says this can be done by organizing the sharing of resources, such as facilities, labor, training, marketing, equipment, overhead, capital and credit using an association-style business model.

Under this approach, Freeman says enterprises and individuals can associate with one another to make better use of existing resources while maintaining their autonomy to make decisions and pursue what they love to do.

“Our plan is to start with artists and producers in Kitsap County and build from there,” Freeman says.

The for-profit Artist and Producers Association, similar in structure to most membership organizations, will require members to make a minimum contribution of $1,000. The money will be used to provide financial support for the association and enable it to carry out its mission of helping Kitsap artists and producers create wealth and support education and training in the arts.

Freeman is planning to form a Limited Liability Company in which to structure the organization and work with a wide range of consultants — business managers, financial people, marketers, politicians, artists, creative volunteers and others — to assist potential association members.

To date, Freeman and his associates have collaborated with South Kitsap area companies and organizations such as Sauer Pottery, Blue Herring Foundry, Elandan Gardens and Magical Strings.

To build awareness for the association, attract potential new members, and help finance it, Freeman is holding a live auction Saturday Sept. 7, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Elandan Gardens in Port Orchard.

Works of art produced by association members and other local artists, plus architectural services will be auctioned off by Auctioneer Sid Strasberg. The afternoon will include a catered buffet, music by the South Kitsap Performing Arts Guild and presentations. The cost is $35 per ticket. Half of the proceeds from sale of art objects go to participating the artist, with the remainder supporting the association. Tickets for the event can be purchased on the Internet at www.ARTrading.com.

One of Freeman’s primary goals is the creation of the Metamorphosis Arts Center, a mixed used commercial development that serve as artist and producers live-work facilities combined with retail, commercial office and other facilities for commercial and public use.

Freeman wants to establish a for-profit investment entity to own and operate the Metamorphosis Arts Center, where association member enterprises would be housed and an institute for teaching fine arts would be created.

He envisions the arts center as a sort of renaissance complex that would include heavy equipment such as kilns, metal working and welding tools, wood working equipment, foundry equipment, and cranes as well as a host of supporting retail activities such as on-site coffee roasting, exotic flower businesses, organic foods, art supplies, health products and much more.

“We got everything we need to succeed in Kitsap County,” Freeman. “We just need to organize our resources in ways that will allow us to succeed... It‘s all about sustainability. Our object is to create more wealth and spread it around.”.