The first Rondy pins were created in 1939. Each year, artists compete to design the official pin and local students do the same in a booster button contest. These pins and buttons become collector’s items; some are worth thousands of dollars.
Maria Talasz, 2019 Rondy Collector Pin Designer
Maria operates as an independent artist from the Equilux studio in Eagle River, Alaska. Her work often goes beyond two dimensions, is free from the confines of any frame, and includes movement through careful design and assembly. Favorite medium is wood, painted in gouache and oil paints and subjects nearly all come directly from nature.
She has lived in Alaska since 2001 and draws inspiration from traveling with her daughter, and the beautiful scenery and wildlife around her home in the mountains where she lives with her husband and three cats.
Explore Maria’s art at Equilux.com.
Oriah Jensen, 2019 Rondy Booster Button Designer
My name is Oriah Jensen and I am the winner of the Booster Button contest! I began drawing in my toddler years. My drawings back then certainly weren’t as legible as they are now, but practice makes perfect. Throughout my 11 years of living I’ve discovered my immense passion for creative writing and journaling. I hope that in the years to come my writing will get me to my dream job: being a writer. The design I chose for the button was based on the breathtaking scenery of The Last Frontier. I think one of Alaska’s greatest highlights are the mountains that tower overhead. I was inspired mainly on the idea that each Alaskan environment is very unique and equally charming. Changing the world is a big task and I have yet to cross it off my bucket list. I hope that once I grow into a skilled writer, I can influence the many nations to try to fix the problems we face globally. If I don’t get the chance to use my writing for that big project, I surely wouldn’t mind if I became a historian or an owner of a small vinyl records store in Anchorage. Speaking of Anchorage, I enjoy living there! I moved to Anchorage in 2016 from California. So far, I’ve had a great experience with the beautiful landscape and the curious wildlife. I am more than excited for my winning of the Booster Button contest for Fur Rondy.