(Chronicle photo by Tricia Fulks) Roxanne Shields, manager of Shepherdstown Paint and Art, organizes frames as she inventories current and discontinued supplies before the store’s move three doors down. The store has been on East German Street for 36 years.

Shepherdstown Paint and Art, German Street’s longest continuous running business, will move locations but not far.

Roxanne Shields, manager, said she received notice in late December from the store’s landlord, Massemer, Inc., that they were going to renovate the store’s space.

Once renovations were in place, the monthly rent would be much higher than normal, said Mark Shields, Roxanne’s husband who helps out at the shop when he isn’t working his regular job as an FDA Since then, Roxanne, who will take over as owner of the shop from Bill Piercy once it moves, had looked for a new space.

In stepped Mike Austin, Shepherdstown Men’s Club president and member of a casual art group, the Friday’s Painters Group. Austin was in the store one day inquiring about a sale when he found out they needed a new space, and the SMC had one to rent out.

Roxanne, who has worked under Piercy since 2004, and Mark plan to relocate from 108 to 102 E. German St. next month.

Mark sees the move as a time to organize.

“It’s going to require more inventory management,” he said.

Though the new 480-square-foot space is much smaller than the cavernous original store, Roxanne said Shepherdstown Paint and Art will still offer the same services and supplies like custom framing and matting, cutting glass and mats, and Roxanne’s gallery of watercolors will also be on display.

“This is kind of the surviving art store in the area,” Austin said.

Roxanne wants to carry on the traditions that Piercy has for over three decades because with so many artists in the area, she said there is still a need for the store.

“We think it provides something to the community,” Mark said.

There is another advantage to the agreement between the Shields and the SMC.

“We feel that our art exhibit area is underutilized,” Austin said.

With someone occupying the space next door, Austin hopes to put a door from the store into the first floor so they can hold more exhibitions for artists to feature their work. Austin said with someone staffing the store, it will be more feasible to administer the gallery space.

Once moved, Roxanne hopes to have hours that accommodates people who work during the day. Though it’s not set in stone, she hopes to stay open until 5:30 p.m. and will open by appointment.

“It would have been a big loss to let your store go,” Austin said.

“I wouldn’t let it go,” Roxanne said.