Foto: Francisco Espíldora
Craftsmanship and Nature at the Coyhaique Cultural Center: An Exhibition that Showcases the Cultural Heritage of Cerro Castillo National Park
The exhibition was open to the public from November 6 to 13 and aimed to revive traditional techniques while highlighting the local knowledge and designs rooted in the territory.
In commemoration of Artisan’s Day, the Coyhaique Cultural Center hosted an open exhibition where creators from Villa Cerro Castillo presented ceramic pieces and hand-knitted work produced during the second edition of the Craftsmanship and Nature program.
This initiative—led by Amigos de los Parques of Fundación Rewilding Chile and developed by Pulso Austral—celebrated its second edition this year, strengthening its role as a space that connects artisanal knowledge with nature and local identity.
In this edition, the focus was on revitalizing traditional techniques and designs to create pieces that reflect the history, heritage, and character of the Villa Cerro Castillo community, with 27 local creators participating.
The program, facilitated by Pulso Austral—an interdisciplinary organization of women from the Aysén region dedicated to linking art, education, culture, and ecology—took place mostly at the headquarters of the Manos del Castillo Association. Activities included technical workshops on hand-knitting and ceramics led by renowned artisans Eva Carrillo from Puerto Ibáñez and Viviana Lagos from Coyhaique. Participants also took part in field experiences that allowed them to witness the shearing, spinning, and washing of wool firsthand, as well as the responsible extraction of clay from a local vein, along with training sessions on brand identity and commercialization.
“This winter in Cerro Castillo felt different,” noted the Pulso Austral team. “Manual crafts stepped outside the domestic space. Artisans swapped the intimacy of knitting and ceramic modeling for weekly collective sessions filled with conversation and communal creativity. Women and men found in these practices new textures of connection and new bonds. That spirit shaped this second edition of the program, which now arrives in Coyhaique with an exhibition and craft mediation,” said Catalina Camus, the organization’s co-director.
As the program’s closing activity and in celebration of Artisan’s Day, the exhibition was open to the Coyhaique community at the Cultural Center, showcasing traditional sleeveless knitted vests and utilitarian ceramic pieces based on designs learned by the village’s artisans during the 1980s.
“The Craftsmanship and Nature program continues to strengthen the ties between culture, craft, and conservation, fostering local talent and valuing the biocultural heritage of Patagonia. Through these crafts, community is built and the connection with the nature of Cerro Castillo National Park is deepened, highlighting the territory’s identity and generating real opportunities for local development”