Is amazing downtown next?

Arts in firehouse seen as a spark

Amazing Things Arts Center's new space in the Hollis Street firehouse, being renovated to look like this.

Downtown Framingham will look "amazingly different" within three years. Michael Moran is certain of it. He sees more shops, more shoppers, more restaurants, more diners, more businesses, more pedestrians, and simply more community-building hubbub.

That's because all the major hurdles have been cleared for the opening of the Amazing Things Arts Center's new quarters in the old Hollis Street firehouse, except for next week's signing of the lease. And, as he's seen before, Moran said, art centers have a way of reviving downtowns.

"It doesn't start immediately, but I've been through it before." When he started the Center for Arts in Natick, Moran said, "there were empty storefronts all over town, and by three years later, you couldn't get a storefront in town."

Added Moran, director as well as founder of the Amazing Things center in Framingham's Saxonville neighborhood, "That's what's going to happen here."

Renovations already underway will transform the three-story 1908 firehouse into a roughly 190-seat theater with a ticket booth, lobby, parking, and a working fire engine bay door that will open up events to passersby.

Upstairs will feature a gallery for community artists and teaching space for performance and music master classes. Eventually, a show marquee will go up outside, and a community recording studio will occupy the basement, "so area kids can record their first CDs there," said Moran.

"I've always felt you should have a real mix in the programming, because it's the community building that is the most important part to me. It's about getting different people with different perspectives in here rubbing elbows."

For now, they're rubbing the walls clean to prep for painting. All but $30,000 of the $150,000 in funds and in-kind services needed to complete the first stage of renovations have been raised. Lighting and sound designs are complete. The first concerts are booked for next month: Folk favorite Les Sampou performs the first one Dec. 15. But getting here wasn't easy, or even part of Moran's original plan.

After founding the downtown Natick arts center and building it from scratch into a major area arts organization (also housed in a former firehouse), Moran was ousted as director in 2004. In a controversial move, his board dismissed him when he refused to hire a professional fund-raiser.

Moran never looked back. He moved one town over to Framingham, took a couple hundred of his dedicated volunteers with him, and set up Amazing Things in a small storefront at the Pinefield Plaza in Saxonville.

Since then, the center has rarely been dark, with nearly 300 days of programming that runs from big name music acts to local teen bands, as well as theater productions, film screenings, poetry readings, open mikes, art shows, and master classes - all this with just two people on staff.

"I always say I have as many volunteers as a hospital," said Moran. "This wouldn't have happened without them. People are working so hard, and it makes it mean more. They have their elbow grease in this. They've rolled up their sleeves."

Besides the roughly 350 do-gooders who have helped prep for renovations and raise funds, Chris Walsh of Framingham and Howard Fruitkoff of Natick donated all the architectural work. General contractor Russ Doucette of Framingham is running the job for free, lighting designer Carmine Saccardo of Natick donated his time to create a stage lighting plan, and architect Ed Fagan of Rhode Island, a regular open-mike participant, donated a visual arts lighting design plan.

Meanwhile, the city has offered a 50-year lease on the firehouse for just $1 per year and also kicked in $90,000 to repave the parking lot. And all the while, Moran has been working nonstop.

"This is what it is. It's about what you do with your life," said Moran on a break from what had already been a 12-hour day. "If I make my mark and when I die somebody remembers that here's a guy that tried to do a little good, that's great."

But don't worry, Moran doesn't plan on checking out soon. He's got too much to do. "I'm already planning where to put up the next one of these," he said.

At Amazing Things in Saxonville, 55 Nicholas Road: 8 p.m. Friday, roots rockers Emilia Dahlin, Dana Gross, and Samuel James ($15; students/seniors $14); 8 p.m. Saturday, bluegrass with the Pine Hill Ramblers ($15/$14). At the Amazing Things Firehouse, 160 Hollis St., Framingham: 8 p.m. Dec. 15, singer-songwriter Les Sampou with Ed Fagan opening in the venue's first concert ($17/$16). 508-405-2787, amazingthings.org.

NO PLACE LIKE TOWN HALL: Our favorite tornado is set to strike at Weston's Town Hall on Saturday when the Weston Friendly Society starts its run of the "The Wizard of Oz." Just like in the film, Dorothy is swept away to that colorful land of Oz where plenty of singing, dancing, and munchkin meeting ensues.

As always at Friendly Society shows, seating comes in two options: cabaret tables at the orchestra level or traditional balcony seating above. It's also do-it-yourself dinner theater (or snack theater, for some). Regardless of where you sit, you're welcome to bring your own beverages and indoor picnic (leftover turkey sandwiches, perhaps?).

Madeline Schulman makes her Weston Friendly debut as Dorothy. Rob Mahoney is her Scarecrow, Kirk Hornberger the Tinman, and Steve Lillis the Lion. Other Friendly favorites include Guy Dillaway as the Wizard, Betsy Soule as Glinda, and Richard Leonhardt as Uncle Henry.

"The Wizard of Oz" will be performed in Weston Town Hall at 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays for the next two weekends. Tickets: orchestra $22, students and seniors $19; balcony $19, students and seniors $16. 781-893-9883, westonfriendly.org.

MODERN MASTERS: When Spaightwood Galleries dubbed its current show "Masters of Modernity," it wasn't exaggerating. Though the gallery may be in a small renovated chapel in Upton, no less than 157 works by Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Kandinsky, and Miró can be seen, along with nine works by Braque, Klee, Leger, and Giacometti - all mavericks in no need of introduction.

But should you be looking for an enlightened viewpoint on the many sketches and prints on show, just chat up owners and art lovers Andrew Weiner and Sonja Hansard-Weiner, who have a seemingly infinite (and engaging) knowledge of the artists they show.

"As we hung the show we were struck by the different 'modernities' presented by the works on the walls around us," wrote Weiner.

"What links these modern masters is, in fact, their quest for the idea of the 'modern' rather than for a particular end. Modernity, it appears, is not a monolithic concept but a quest, a journey toward an end."

"Masters of Modernity" is on view at Spaightwood Galleries, 120 Main St., Upton, through Jan. 20. Hours: noon-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, weekdays by appointment. Admission free, but advance notice by telephone required. 508-259-2511, spaightwoodgalleries.com.

Have an idea for the Arts column? E-mail westarts@globe.com.