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Fondart Funds Wood Trades School in Tortel

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The boardwalks of Tortel are a natural reflection of a history tied to wood and its many uses for habitability and daily life. Building on this tradition, the Tortel Woodworkers Collective created the Wood Trades School project, which was awarded the 2025 Cultural and Arts Development Fund by the Ministry of Cultures.

With these resources, the collective is developing various workshops that connect wood with the territory, following a circular approach evident in the reuse of materials from the old boardwalks of Caleta Tortel (donated by the Tortel Municipality) in the new creations made by participating residents.

Francisca Ramírez, a member of the Tortel Woodworkers Collective, explains that the seed of the project was the creation of a methodology that enables furniture-making and other practices to be taught in community workshops: "The collective includes people with very unique woodworking skills, and we realized this gave us the opportunity to teach others. The entire region, in fact, has distinct ways of inhabiting spaces, so we asked ourselves: why, if we live in such a unique way, should we use standard objects?"

This question and the desire to share knowledge have been constant motivations. This experience allows the participating community to reflect on their surroundings and create pieces for their own well-being, such as kitchen items, furniture for storing shoes in winter, bedside tables, and other articles.

The Regional Minister of Cultures for Aysén, Felipe Quiroz, praised the initiative, stating: "Wood is not just a resource in Aysén—it is living memory. It is how our communities have inhabited, built, and given meaning to the territory. That’s why the work of the Caleta Tortel Woodworkers Collective represents much more than a trade: it embodies a deeply rooted cultural practice that defies oblivion. As an institution, we recognize that their work not only transfers technical knowledge but also activates processes that dignify manual labor, value material and intangible heritage, and affirm territorial sovereignty. Experiences like this remind us that the future is built from the roots. Wood, crafted with history and awareness, is not just structure—it is memory embodied in every grain."

Carpenter and builder Matías Poblete led the first module of the Furniture Workshop, which will span 40 hours in Caleta Tortel. Additionally, two more workshops will be held: one on Herb Rack Construction with artisan and carpenter Miguel Hernández, and another on Wood Carving, led by artisan Lázaro Igor, a co-creator of the project.

The Wood Trades School of Caleta Tortel will later move to Puerto Tranquilo, where it will hold the Furniture Workshop, and then to Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez, where residents will learn wood carving.