Alaskan painter completes his 49-year run, unveiling final Iditarod poster
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Alaskan painter Jon Van Zyle is a two-time Iditarod musher and after finishing his first race in 1976, he made 20 paintings of his experiences on the trail.
In 1977, he created his first Iditarod poster, donating money raised by its sales, to support the race. He had no idea that his posters would become a 49-year project.
Zyle unveiled the 2025 poster and announced it would be his last. He isn’t giving up painting — just moving on to other projects.
He has named his final Iditarod poster “Embers,” as a fire comes to an end, embers are the final stage.
Van Zyle’s annual Iditarod Show opens Friday, Feb. 28, at the Georgia Blue Gallery, where he will be signing the 2025 poster.
See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.
