Artist showcases wide range of upcycling at Framingham studio

FRAMINGHAM - An artist has transformed his studio in Framingham into an event space, thanks to his love of upcycling.

"It's a vibe. Fireseed is a vibe and it's palpable, owner Patiño Vazquez told WBZ-TV.

Fireseed in Framingham is his whimsical, eclectic creation that's part art studio, part performing space.

"A lot of healing"

"A lot of healing has happened in here. A lot of creativity, a lot of laughter, and a lot of unity and it's blowing my mind how it continues to unfold," Vazquez said.

Fireseed started as an upcycling arts collective. Vazquez would take older, discarded objects and turn them into something beautiful. For example, he turned a vintage suitcase into a guitar. He uses the pieces in outreach programs with local schools to educate students on the value of repurposing.

"I'm a guitar player, so of course we're going to make guitars," Vazquez told WBZ.

Like the pieces themselves, Fireseed has evolved. With so many of his art installations on the wall, the space itself became the attraction, so he started hosting events.

"Lots of community events. We've had lots of electronic music and DJ's, lots of networking events. We had Mike Tyson here," Vazquez said.

Fireseed just hosted its first wedding and the list of people wanting to rent the space is growing.

Vazquez was just selected as one of Amplify Latinx's ALX 100 for 2024.

"We honor people from the arts to the C-suite because we want to make sure that we're showcasing and elevating these contributions of the changemakers across industries," executive director Eneida Roman told WBZ.

Vazquez's work is being elevated by the non-profit. He and his business partner were chosen to create the awards and centerpiece for the other ALX 100 recipients. They will be unveiled at the campaign kick-off at Boston's Museum of Science on Thursday, October 10.

More information

Information on Amplify Latinx and its mission to assist and uplift Massachusetts' Latin community can be found here . To book Fireseed Art Studio and get a look at Vazquez's work, click here .

It's been a long road for him, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"I surrender to the process, and things come up and they organically manifest and I run with it. I think that's been my key to survival in this," Vazquez said.