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.  Almost 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. Joyce continues to be executive director of the Wallkill River School of Art, a nonprofit arts organization with a mission of preserving agricultural history while creating economic opportunity for local 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.