A native of Saint Paul with familial ties to Iowa and Wisconsin, as well as Minnesota, Kyle Oakleaf Johnston helped bring these mostly previously unknown stories to audiences across the Midwest. A trained teacher and an artist, he appreciates the value of art to the educational process, and sees art and history as a balanced pair of disciplines for exploring the human experience, past and present. At TRACES he designed exhibit descriptions and teaching materials, and developed outreach with Metro Area and Out-State Minnesota educators.