Shawn Dell Joyce began her career as an artist’s apprentice in NY’s SoHo area in the 1980’s and worked in the studios of many prestigious artists. Her entrepreneurial spirit called her North to the Hudson Valley, where she began teaching a series of plein air painting classes in 2000. Her classes became so popular that she hired other artists, and founded a plein air school with an Arts and Agricultural mission based on the historic Hudson River School. Twenty years later, her nonprofit has grown to encompass a beautiful historic home with 5 classrooms, three galleries, 25 teaching artists and 40 represented artists. The Wallkill River School brings cultural tourism to the Hudson Valley region through plein air painting workshops and events on local farms, historic sites and open spaces.

Shawn Dell Joyce has won many prestigious awards for including 1st in the Paint Sarasota Quickdraw, 2nd Place in 2018, and 2nd in the Quick Draw at the 2021 Hudson Valley Plein Air Festival, 1st in the Quick Draw at the 2017 Hudson Valley Plein Air Festival, and People’s Choice in the International Plein Air Paint Out 2005 in Niagara Falls. She is a signature member of New York Plein Air Painters (NYPAP), and International Plein Air Painters (IPAP), and has been featured in many national newspapers and magazines like the New York Times and Plein Air Magazine. She has participated in many national exhibits and plein air festivals, and is represented by galleries in NY and Florida. She teaches workshops in pastel and plein air techniques across the country. Her work is included in collections in the Georges Pompidou Museum in France and the Museum of Modern Art in NY.