Grand Opening at The Sluice

Friday, April 7, 5-9 p.m.

• Surface Gallery will be featuring 3 new exhibit openings by Carol Dickerson, Clay Enoch, and Tara Kelly Cruz
• Live Music by the Ryan Black Jazz Band
• Gold Star Pie truck will be out front
• Story Coffee will be open and serving specialty drinks
• Design Rangers are hosting their personal business new location grand opening
• Studios will be open (visit and view local artist and designers work)
• Learn about the history of the Sluice, complete with pictures from its past

Saturday, April 8, 5-9 p.m.

• We will be open for guided tours 11-3 pm
• Studios will be open
• “Lucy I’m Home” will be parked outside
• Story Coffee Barista Throwdown: 6-9 p.m.

About the Sluice:

The Sluice, a home to creative small businesses, artist studios, Story Coffee’s second location, and Surface Gallery, is pleased to announce its Grand Opening Celebration. We will be hosting tours of the newly refinished space, have new art exhibits open by Carol Dickerson, Clay Enoch, and Tara Kelley-Cruz, and live music by The Ryan Black Jazz Band. Artist studios will be open for viewing, and small businesses including Design Rangers, Schmid Studios, Caroline Clark Studio, Stellar Propeller, and Echo Architecture and Interiors, will be open and showcasing their work. Story Coffee will be serving their new specialty drinks, Gold Star Pies will be parked outside, on Friday, April 7 from 5-9 pm, and on Saturday from 11-3 p.m. we will be open with tours and “Lucy I’m Home” food truck. Story Coffee Co. will host a barista throwdown from 6-9 p.m. All of these participants are members at the Sluice and have at least one thing in common: creativity.

Named “The Sluice” as a reference to the history of the building, which was once a general store for miners in 1860 who were searching for gold. The building itself boasts the oldest standing sandstone wall in Colorado Springs. We too are searching for gold. The gold we seek is in the beauty of creativity which we hope to spread throughout this community by hosting events in our public stage area, and through highlighting the work of creatives in our city.

This building which is often known by locals as the old Army Surplus building has sat dormant as storage since 2008. It was in disrepair and filled with dusty boxes of books. The partners at Echo Architecture and Interiors formed a second LLC to purchase the building and develop as a way to infuse their own design and keep small businesses alive in our community. They have reimagined the space while honoring its history and transformed it into a space people are excited to see and want to be a part of. We can’t wait to celebrate our opening and kick-off!