The work, the history, and the joy found in following through.

Tonya Traylor is a writer, filmmaker, media director, and founder of The Tonya Traylor Collection, the world’s largest privately owned archive of ventriloquist figures.

With a background spanning performance, education, and broadcast media, she brings rare history to life through immersive, story-driven experiences. Tonya is the creative force behind Ventriloquium: The Night of 100 Figures, a one-of-a-kind Halloween event that blends cinematic horror with museum-style curation, and the author of Restoring Me, a transformational journal featuring figures from her collection.

Her work has been spotlighted on PBS, NBC, and in international classrooms, where she currently serves as Head of Marketing & Media. Across film, writing, and preservation, Tonya’s projects are rooted in legacy, healing, and the belief that joy can be reclaimed through attention, intention, and follow-through. Whether leading a film crew, preserving a century-old artifact, or inspiring the next generation of creatives, she champions stories that matter — and invites others to rediscover the ones they’ve overlooked.