After an exciting and productive day of educator collaboration, participants of the Iditarod Winter Conference for Educators were guests at the home of Jon and Jona Van Zyle in Chugiak, Alaska. Jon, himself a two-time finisher in the The Last Great RaceⓇ, is the official artist of the Iditarod.
He is charged with creating the yearly poster that commemorates the race, a task that he’s had for nearly four decades. The walls in the Van Zyle’s home are adorned with prints, posters, and lithographs that portray the intimacy of the dog sled teams and the landscapes and wildlife of Alaska.
During our visit, Mr. Van Zyle lived up to his reputation of storyteller as he shared stories of his mushing days in the yesteryear. We listened intently as he shared many contrasts of the race as it was in the late seventies to how it is today. His passion for mushing, coupled with his artistic gifts have earned him a coveted spot in the Iditarod Hall of Fame
Jona is an amazing artist in her own right as a specialist in both textiles and metal casting. A native of my neighboring state of Ohio, she was the assistant curator of the Balto Sled Dog exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. So, as you might guess, their warm and inviting home seems more like an art gallery and museum of sorts, celebrating all things Alaska.
The students in my school will be especially excited to see the pictures of Mr. Van Zyle autographing books for our reading center. You see, they know him well and love him as I do. One of the books that he illustrated, Sled Dogs Run, is a story in their reading basal that captivates them and leaves them–and their teacher–thirsty for more reading about all-things Iditarod.
He is charged with creating the yearly poster that commemorates the race, a task that he’s had for nearly four decades. The walls in the Van Zyle’s home are adorned with prints, posters, and lithographs that portray the intimacy of the dog sled teams and the landscapes and wildlife of Alaska.
During our visit, Mr. Van Zyle lived up to his reputation of storyteller as he shared stories of his mushing days in the yesteryear. We listened intently as he shared many contrasts of the race as it was in the late seventies to how it is today. His passion for mushing, coupled with his artistic gifts have earned him a coveted spot in the Iditarod Hall of Fame
Jona is an amazing artist in her own right as a specialist in both textiles and metal casting. A native of my neighboring state of Ohio, she was the assistant curator of the Balto Sled Dog exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. So, as you might guess, their warm and inviting home seems more like an art gallery and museum of sorts, celebrating all things Alaska.
The students in my school will be especially excited to see the pictures of Mr. Van Zyle autographing books for our reading center. You see, they know him well and love him as I do. One of the books that he illustrated, Sled Dogs Run, is a story in their reading basal that captivates them and leaves them–and their teacher–thirsty for more reading about all-things Iditarod.