Trained as an architect, Shawn discovered her passion for sculpture while attending Cornell University where she received a Master of Architecture with a Minor in Fine Arts. While at Cornell, she studied under artists Jack Squire, and Gail Scott White. She has many influences in her work which include her extensive travels throughout the U.S. and Europe, feminine studies/issues, , and her architectural background which is evident in her formal abstract pieces. As well as being a member of Pyro Gallery & Coop, Shawn is also a member of ENID, a group of women sculptors based in Louisville, Kentucky. She has exhibited in Southern Indiana, Kentucky, upstate New York, and Arizona. .

Late Seating at Actors Theatre: April 2007
Figure Show, Marx Gallery, Covington, Ky: April 2007
ENID Group Show, JCC Patio Gallery: January 2007
Solo Show, Bellarmine's McGrath Gallery: October 2006