The Artist’s Confluence & Mercantile: New shop to highlight work of local artists, artisans

The Artist’s Confluence & Mercantile co-owners Todd Cotgreave and Roselyn Sanders Mendez stand in their new storefront last Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston
SHEPHERDSTOWN — The Artist’s Confluence & Mercantile opened its doors to the public this year, at 119 West German Street, on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 27.
According to co-owners Todd Cotgreave and Roselyn Sanders Mendez, the space’s prominent location in downtown Shepherdstown’s shopping area seemed ideal for their business idea — a gallery and mercantile specializing in high-quality local art and workmanship.
“Todd’s and my kids run cross country together, and we got talking and decided to open a place up together. But it had to be in a community space for it to succeed,” Mendez said last Saturday afternoon, in between her and and Cotgreave handling rushes of Christmas shoppers.
“This is the perfect town for this venture,” Cotgreave said. “This is a very artistic community, and now we’ve got a home space for all of that art!”
Having a longtime connection with many local artists, through selling her metal jewelry at local festivals and sales, Mendez inevitably knew a number of local artists and artisans whose work she knew would fit in with the vibe of her and Cotgreave’s shop. Cotgreave, himself, had his own figurative Rolodex of talented artists and artisans, whom he had met through running the Town Run Tap House & Community Pub. He often had the work of local artists displayed on his pub walls, and allowed the pub to become the home of more than one annual artisan festivals. Unfortunately, his pub closed last year, due to the lack of incoming funds, resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic government-mandated closure.

Shepherdstown resident Sandy Collier, left, purchases a handmade card from The Artist’s Confluence & Mercantile co-owner Rose Roselyn Sanders Mendez last Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston
Although the new business space wasn’t leased until two weeks before Small Business Saturday, the co-owners knew they wanted to try to open it in time for the Christmas shopping season. The metalsmith and photographer immediately began working on setting up the space for displaying their own work, as well as that of other local artists and artisans.
“I think that we have about 25 people who are selling with us, of all ages and item types. A lot of people will start selling with us after the holidays, because they were already too swamped with Christmas sales to begin working with us when we opened,” Mendez said, mentioning the youngest seller at the shop was an 11-year-old girl, who makes cards.
Other items in the shop, included quilted potholders, knitted hats, beaded jewelry, wood utensils, quilted Christmas stockings, felted landscape artwork, molded beeswax candles, pottery, knives, Dan Tokar reproduction items and paintings.
“The pandemic’s been really hard,” Cotgreave said. “After two years of being locked away inside, it’s a breath of fresh air to be out there and doing stuff. It’s been a very positive experience to be back.”
In the immediate future, Mendez said she anticipates capitalizing on the building’s layout as the ideal “community space,” by having artists and artisans host workshops for those interested in learning more about their craft. The workshop information, as well as post-Christmas season business hours, will be publicized on the business’ Facebook page.

Quilted stockings by a local seamstress hang above the fireplace in The Artist’s Confluence & Mercantile last Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston
“I love what our name means! When artists come together, there is that merging of ideas,” Mendez said. “This was a general store in the 1800s and early 1900s, so the name bids homage to that, with the word ‘mercantile’ in it.”
- The Artist’s Confluence & Mercantile co-owners Todd Cotgreave and Roselyn Sanders Mendez stand in their new storefront last Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston
- Shepherdstown resident Sandy Collier, left, purchases a handmade card from The Artist’s Confluence & Mercantile co-owner Rose Roselyn Sanders Mendez last Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston
- Quilted stockings by a local seamstress hang above the fireplace in The Artist’s Confluence & Mercantile last Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston
- Christmas shoppers stream into The Artist’s Confluence & Mercantile last Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston
- Handcrafted hats sit on display in The Artist’s Confluence & Mercantile last Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston

Christmas shoppers stream into The Artist's Confluence & Mercantile last Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston

Handcrafted hats sit on display in The Artist’s Confluence & Mercantile last Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston