Hi! I’m Leah. I am an artist and educator based in Minneapolis, MN. I have a BA in Studio Art from St. Olaf College and an MA in Art Education from NYU. 

As a passionate and skilled art educator, I taught almost all types of media to 7-12 graders for 12 years. After having my second child in 2021, I pivoted to stay at home with my two daughters and spend more time creating art.

My art has been driven by a need to make sense of profound moments in my life. When I had my first child, my need to process those intense and disorienting days of becoming a mother felt compulsory. Through that process, my most current woodcut series and artist’s book, “Ode to a New Mother,” came to be.

In the fall of 2022, I was awarded a Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA)/Jerome Foundation Book Arts Mentorship, as well as a semifinalist for MCAD’s Jerome Foundation Fellowship for Early Career Artists. Recently, in June 2023, I was awarded a Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC) Next Step Fund grant to help offset the costs of childcare while finishing the project “Ode to a New Mother.” My work has been accepted for multiple solo, shared and juried shows within and outside of MN, including the Boston Printmakers 2023 North American Print Biennial.

If you have any interest in my work or have any questions, I would love to talk more! Email me at leah.klister@gmail.com