It took the contributions of many creative and ambitious people to weave the dynamic culture of Shepherdstown — and Wayne Skinner is one of those contributors. Moving to Shepherdstown at age 24 after studying art with a focus on ceramics at Penn State, Skinner took the job of Chairman (and only) member of the Shepherd College Art Department where he began to build the Department with just the bare essentials and personally taught every art course offered.
After six years of teaching, Skinner moved to Washington DC to open Eastern Market Pottery. He soon returned to Shepherdstown and bought the building currently known as the Mecklenberg Inn. Skinner operated a gift store for several years before he decided to re-fashion the building into a traditional English pub that would provide a gathering spot for students and residents of the town. He enjoyed working with his hands — he did much of the construction work himself and laid the foundations for what is now the wonderful Meck garden area. Skinner named it the “Penney Postcard Pub” — a reference to the building’s earlier use (until 1923) as the local Post Office.
After seven years of being a pub owner, Skinner sold the bar to former Shepherdstown resident Sue Knott, who changed the name to the Mecklenburg Inn. Skinner settled down on the Potomac River for a deserved sabbatical and reflective period before coming back into the cultural scene by buying and renovating the building now housing The Bridge Gallery. The building was formerly Colston’s Garage, a gas station and car repair shop. Skinner performed another transformation, this time creating AIIA (Arts to Antiques), which he ran for 12 years.
Skinner used the gallery to showcase some of the best local artists of the time, including Diana Suttenfield, Don Rees, Ben Summerford, James Kline, and Michael Davis. He also filled the gallery space with a unique selection of fine antiques and exhibited collections of prints and work by renown international artists including Honore Daumier, Pierre Bonnard, and Jacques Villon. Skinner retired in 2008 and sold the business to Kathryn Burns, who renamed it The Bridge Gallery. Burns strives to carry on the tradition of featuring original local art and the task of connecting art and community.
Skinner used his retirement to find his own voice in the art world, pursuing what he described as “the perfect structure and balance needed to create good composition and ultimately a good painting.” In a shift from his earlier work with ceramics, pastels became his medium of choice, replaced more recently by oils. The Skinner exhibit at The Bridge Gallery titled “Nature in Balance” opens on April 3 with a reception on Saturday, April 6 from 6-8 pm. The exhibit will showcase Skinner’s pastels and celebrate this artist and his contributions to the culture and history that is Shepherdstown.
Skinner’s “Nature in Balance” exhibit runs from April 3 to May 1 at The Bridge Gallery, 8566 Shepherdstown Pike, Shepherdstown WV. Details online at BridgeGalleryAndFraming.com. Tel: 304-876-2300.
By Staff Contributor