Anita Abbe, of Harpers Ferry, gazes at a painting at the Potomac River Artist Guild’s Fine Art Show and Sale in the War Memorial Building. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The Potomac River Artists Guild is celebrating its 25th anniversary year in 2025.

During its Fine Art Show and Sale at the War Memorial Building in Shepherdstown over the weekend, Potomac River Artists Guild members took time to chat with community members and visitors about their work and their organization’s history.

“Twenty-five years is a long time,” said Mary Alice Bowers. “It’s hard to believe.”

Bowers is one of four founding members still involved with the Potomac River Artists Guild. Although the group originally started with 12 members, it has since increased to 15, which Bowers said is its maximum size.

“Members come and members go and the fabric of it continues to evolve,” Bowers, a realistic watercolor painter, said. “The guild has changed unbelievably over the years.”

Back in 2000 when the Potomac River Artists Guild was founded, its members were all new to the art world and created the organization to provide themselves with opportunities to develop and display their burgeoning abilities, such as through holding art shows in Charles Town and Shepherdstown. The standard for guild membership has steadily risen over the years, in accordance with the founding members’ growing artistic expertise. Today, the art of prospective members must be examined by a jury from the guild, before membership can be granted to anyone.

“You don’t get in unless you can meet a certain standard of excellence,” said collage artist and new member C.B. Fisher. “I ran into one of the artists from this group, who was picking up one of my paintings. She told me about the Potomac River Artists Guild and it sounded like something I wanted to be a part of.”

Fisher studied art in college and has devoted much of her adult life to perfecting her own, unique artistic style. Being part of groups like this one, over the years, has enabled her to receive extensive feedback about her art and provided her with more growth opportunities than, she said, most college students receive from their art professors and classmates.

“Having your art and artistic style tested and having other artists’ input into your art is critical to your growth as an artist,” Fisher said.

Over the past six months as a member of the guild, Fisher has found herself increasingly pleased to have joined it.

“Whenever you can be exposed to this many artists and mediums, it gives you a profound appreciation for the power of self expression,” Fisher said.

To learn more, visit the Potomac River Artists Guild Facebook page, at https://www.facebook.com/PotomacRiverArtistsGuild/.