Crafts of Chile Foundation

Fundación Artesanías de Chile (the Crafts of Chile Foundation) is a Chilean foundation dedicated to the promotion, preservation, dissemination and commercialisation of Chilean handicrafts. It works with a network of more than 2,000 artisans stretching from the country's far north to its southern reaches, the great majority of whom live in the regions rather than the capital, are women, and belong to an indigenous people. The foundation describes its work as addressing the cultural, social and economic dimensions of artisanal heritage, with a particular emphasis on cultural rights. The organisation's mission is to value, preserve, spread and foster Chilean crafts, highlighting their cultural, aesthetic and creative attributes and encouraging the participation of artisans and communities in the country's sociocultural and economic development. Its stated vision is to be an institution recognised for its commitment to the artisanal sector, with a broad territorial presence, acting on the principles of equity, respect for cultural diversity, transparency and fair trade. Operationally the foundation is organised into three main areas — a Cultures area that disseminates crafts and brings them closer to the public, a Development area that works with artisans, and a Commercial area that handles sales. It runs free public programming including workshops, talks, guided visits, craft markets and exhibitions; produces educational material for schools and families; and operates physical shops and an online store through which it sells pieces acquired directly from artisans. It also maintains a heritage collection, displayed at the Casa Museo Artesanías de Chile. The foundation has its antecedents in the Fundación Tiempos Nuevos, created in 1994 by then First Lady Marta Larraechea, whose handicrafts programme — financed with funds from the Inter-American Development Bank — focused mainly on commercialisation. Responding to artisans' requests for an organisation devoted exclusively to their work, Fundación Artesanías de Chile was created on 12 July 2002 under the tenure of First Lady Luisa Durán. Since 31 December 2022 it has formed part of Chile's Ministry of Cultures, the Arts and Heritage. Its headquarters are in the Casa de Velasco, a heritage building in central Santiago that it has occupied in full since March 2019.

The foundation's origins lie in the Fundación Tiempos Nuevos, created in 1994 by Marta Larraechea, then First Lady of Chile. That organisation ran a handicrafts programme financed with funds from the Inter-American Development Bank, which was concerned essentially with the commercialisation of Chilean crafts. Over time artisans themselves asked for an organisation that would concern itself exclusively with their work, and this demand led to the creation of a dedicated body. Fundación Artesanías de Chile was created on 12 July 2002 under the tenure of First Lady Luisa Durán. Its principal objectives were to promote, stimulate and develop Chilean handicrafts, and to establish and develop centres for the production, exhibition and sale of artisanal objects. From its earliest years the foundation combined cultural promotion with commercial activity, acting as an intermediary that acquires pieces directly from artisans and brings them to market. By 2014 the foundation was benefiting around 1,980 artisans across the country, of whom 89% were women and 90% came from rural areas. Alongside its promotional work it developed cultural exhibitions to display the products of Chilean artisans. In 2014 it also moved its headquarters to the Casa de Velasco, a heritage building in central Santiago that it shared with the Chilenter foundation and the Fundación de la Familia; from March 2019 the house has been occupied in its entirety by Artesanías de Chile. The foundation operates physical shops to commercialise the products it buys directly from artisans, and since 2020 it has also run an online store. In 2015 it formally entered the guarantee system of the World Fair Trade Organization, which certifies transparent commercial relations with producing artisans. In 2021 it held a fair called "La Casa Artesana", presenting products made by artisans from across the country, who exhibited and sold their creations at the Casa de Velasco. In March 2022 the Casa Museo Artesanías de Chile opened its doors, run by the foundation and located in the Casa de Velasco, dedicated to disseminating the organisation's heritage collection and presenting the works of national artisans. In the same month Chile's First Lady, Irina Karamanos, appointed Leslye Palacios as the foundation's new executive director. On 31 December 2022 the foundation passed into the orbit of the Ministry of Cultures, the Arts and Heritage, formalising its status as a state-linked institution. In the present period the foundation describes itself as having spent 24 years promoting national handicrafts. It works with a network of more than 2,000 artisans from the far north to the far south of Chile; 95% of them live in the regions, mainly in rural areas (78%); 84% are women, described as the principal custodians of artisanal heritage; and 56% belong to an indigenous people. Its work is organised into a Cultures area, which disseminates crafts and brings them closer to citizens through exhibitions, educational activities and public programming; a Development area, which works with artisans; and a Commercial area, which handles the sale of craft products. It produces a microseries, "Identidad Hecha a Mano", that visits the landscapes where artisanal culture is born and introduces the master artisans behind each piece, and it runs free workshops, talks, guided visits and craft markets, as well as downloadable educational material for schools and families.

• 2022

  Casa Museo Artesanías de Chile opens in March; Leslye Palacios appointed executive director; on 31 December the foundation becomes dependent on the Ministry of Cultures, the Arts and Heritage

• 2021

  Holds the "La Casa Artesana" fair at the Casa de Velasco

• 2020

  Launches an online store

• 2019

  From March, the Casa de Velasco is occupied in its entirety by Artesanías de Chile

• 2015

  Formally enters the World Fair Trade Organization guarantee system

• 2014

  Foundation benefiting around 1,980 artisans; moves headquarters to the Casa de Velasco in central Santiago

• 2002

  Fundación Artesanías de Chile created on 12 July under First Lady Luisa Durán

• 1994

  Fundación Tiempos Nuevos created by First Lady Marta Larraechea, with a handicrafts programme financed by the Inter-American Development Bank

A state-linked, fair-trade-oriented cultural foundation that positions Chilean handicrafts as living heritage and as a source of sociocultural and economic development, working directly with a nationwide network of artisans.

• Chilean handicrafts acquired directly from artisans

• Mapuche traditional basketry (e.g. work by Julia Chavez)

• Textiles, ponchos and woven pieces

• Pottery and ceramics

• Educational material: Artesanía Activa and Artesanía para Todos

1. 1Fundación Artesanías de Chile - Identidad Hecha a Manoartesaniasdechile.cl
2. 2Nosotros - Fundación Artesanías de Chileartesaniasdechile.cl
3. 3Talleres y actividades - Fundación Artesanías de Chileartesaniasdechile.cl
4. 4Programa educativo - Fundación Artesanías de Chileartesaniasdechile.cl
5. 5Crafts of Chile Foundation - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Fundación Artesanías de Chile - Wikipedia (es)es.wikipedia.org