I have set up a basic openvpn server with static keys. I have two clients that can see each other and transfer information between each other, but all traffic goes through the main VPN server.
Would there be any way to configure OpenVPN to have the traffic go directly between the clients and just use the server as authentication and mediation?
If the two clients cannot see each other without going through the VPN, then no.
If you are asking if the two clients can effectively create a VPN tunnel between themselves, in the absence of other software, the answer is no. The clients create tunnels with the server, and the server does the routing.