EVENTS
FIRST FRIDAYS
Our in-house Disruptor Gallery is a DIY venue that provides space for under-represented artists. We aim to provide a platform for the voices of artists of all types. Join us for opening receptions between 5 and 9pm on the first Friday of every month.
MUSIC
Our in-house Disruptor Gallery also doubles as a DIY music venue, offering a stage for underrepresented and emerging artists to share their sound. We’re dedicated to uplifting diverse musical voices and creating opportunities for artists of all backgrounds to be heard.
WORKSHOPS
Shutter and Strum offers workshops (both prepaid and with scholarships for youth in need) in various visual arts and music subjects. These include:
Studio Portrait Photography
Film and Darkroom Photography
Art Gallery Curation and Management
Songwriting
Music For Healing and Self-Expression
Studio Recording
PAST EVENTS
December 2025
Push and Pull
By Amanda Santistevan
The Impermanence of Memory
By William Covington
Opening December 5th, First Friday, 5–9 pm. Available until December 27th
November 2025
Vashti Mims
Memories Back Then
October First Friday:
“Don’t Worry ‘Bout It” by Morgan Beck, Andi Kreidel, and Kelly Brown.
October 3rd, 5–9PM
Music
Electronic Music Night, featuring Solo Loop, Axishabit, Livewire, and Ccaayydd. July 27th, 8-10 p.m.
Algae and Tentacles, Chorus of Stone X MPW, and Drift Diffusion. August 6th, 6 pm doors. $15
Jeph Jerman, Steve Jansen, Seward & Weathers, Paradisecleaners, and MPW. September 19th, 6 pm. $15-20. 103 Pawnee Ave. Manitou Springs 80829
Photography Workshop
Cottonwood Center for the Arts: Two day workshops, 1–3 PM, June 7th & 15th, or June 21st & 28th
https://cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com/hurry-up-slow-down
Fountain Creek Nature Center: One day workshops, July 26th, 9–11 AM
https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/shutter-strum-photography-workshop/
JUNE 2025
The word 'pride' is an integral cultural concept within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA++) community, representing solidarity, collectivity, and identity as well as resistance to discrimination and violence.
A collection of local LGBTQIA+ artists
W/ Live Performance by Stoney
Opening June 6th, 5-9 p.m.
Open until June 28th during our business hours
MAY 2025
Featuring talented artists Troy Hobbs (showing “False Spring”) and Rodney Wills (showing “From the Wheels to the Wall”)
Show open Fri-Sun 12-4, until May 30th
April 2025
April 4th, 5-9 p.m. - First Friday Opening
Fruit by Jacob Scott & lost and found by Noor Adwan
April 9th, 6:30 p.m. - Electrogong w/ Conor Bourgal & Mark Warm (suggested $10 donation)
April 12th, 6:00 p.m. - The Dead Still eat, preformance by Jasmine Dillavou ($15)
Hurry Up to Slow Down: Film Street Photography Workshop
April 5th and 6th, 12-3 p.m. $150 per person, limited to 4 shooters
A film camera, one roll of black and white film with a small group of like minded people under the guidance of photographer Brian Tryon. Discover street photography beyond the “tourist” aspect in the neighborhood of Knob Hill. Explore new and exciting areas, learn about technique, lighting, creativity, mindfulness, and most importantly, slowing down using a film camera.
Day One: Brief introduction and lecture, then “we will hit the ground running” photo walk
Day Two: Darkroom time!
DM @shutter_and_strum on Instagram or email owner@shutterandstrum.org for payment option. You can check out a film camera or use your own, film is available to purchase. Darkroom chemicals and paper will be provided by Brian Tryon.
MARCH 2025
Culture Obsession by Fred Legarda
&
Forever Moonlighting by Maria Fetterhoff
Show Opening: March 7th, 5-9PM
Also Open: Fridays and Sundays 12-4, and Saturdays 11-4. Until March 27th
A Great Planetary Conjunction
Featuring Minderaser, Mark Warm, and Poison Cough
February 28th
Doors at 7pm, show at 8pm
All ages
$10 donation
First Friday at Disruptor
February 7th 5-9pm
Mono no Aware (物の哀れ) by Jonathan Nishimoto
&
Please stop cancelling on us PLEASE by Lucy Hancock
Join us for a two-day workshop designed to stretch your creative muscles through various art games and warm-up exercises. You will engage in three playful art experiences that challenge and enhance your creativity. Begin each day with Melanie Audet’s dicey drawing games to get in some playful practice. Day 1, Brian Tryon will lead a mixed media cyanotype activity, which will usher in Day 2 adventures when Naomi Falk guides an improvisational pieced and quilted project. Opportunities abound to mix it up. No experience necessary. Plus, we’ll have 60-second dance parties throughout to keep you energized and moving! Snacks and drinks will be provided. Feel free to bring your own lunch. This workshop promises to be a fantastic way to spend your weekend and unleash your creative potential!
Saturday, February 8th
10 am - 2 pm
Sunday, February 9th
10 am - 2 pm
NOVEMBER 2024
Featuring live performances by Minderaser, Seance, Prefab Soul, and Mark Warm, the soundscape weaves ethereal synths, pulsating drones, and delicate textures, creating a meditative journey through sound and light. Experience a multi-sensory voyage designed to inspire awe and introspection.
Catharsis
A group art exhibition and live ambient music featuring various artists
For the artist, the act of creating can be a therapeutic process, a way to externalize complex feelings and make sense of inner turmoil or joy. This often occurs through expressive techniques, vivid color choices, bold compositions, or symbolic representations. For instance, an artist might paint scenes of struggle or triumph to process personal trauma or life transitions.
For viewers, cathartic artwork can evoke empathy, helping them confront or reflect on their own emotions. Art can serve as a safe space to experience intense feelings that might otherwise feel overwhelming in real life, providing both relief and insight. Cathartic art can span various forms, from abstract expressionism that channels raw emotion to narrative art that tells a story of hardship, redemption, or personal growth. In this way, artwork becomes a powerful tool for personal and collective emotional healing.
The Age Of Rust
featuring Caleb Butcher
PASSING OF TIME MEASURED BY CORROSION MYSTIFIED TOTEMS OF FORGOTTEN TECHNOLOGY THE TIME OF TRANSITION BETWEEN ERAS MACHINES FOR WORSHIP
SCIENCE FOR MYSTICISM
THIS IS THE AGE OF RUST
Caleb Butcher is a Colorado Springs resident who has been making art for the past ten years. He started by making flyers in the local metal and punk scene and still is inspired by underground music. He is extremely interested in art as a conversation between people and materials but approaches his art more like a movie prop maker than a conceptual artist. With no formal education he loves just guessing and approaching things as a layman. He is not good at writing bios.
