Wooden Works Museum – Eskişehir

Wooden Works Museum – Eskişehir

The Wooden Works Museum, established in Eskişehir, functions both as a museum and an art gallery. It is located in the Odunpazarı district, within a historic caravanserai situated to the west of the Kurşunlu Complex.

The origins of the museum date back to the World Wood Day events. After the first event was held in Tanzania in 2013 and the second in China, the third World Wood Day was organized in Eskişehir in 2015 under the title of the International Wooden Works Festival. The festival was hosted by Odunpazarı Municipality, a district of Eskişehir, and carried out in cooperation with the Odunpazarı Municipality, the International Wood Culture Society (IWCS), and the Turkish Foresters’ Association (TOD), under the slogan “Wood is Good.”

The artworks produced during the festival were inspired by the philosophy of Yunus Emre, particularly his thought “This world belongs to no one forever.” Through the festival, the aim was to raise awareness about the protection of trees—the raw material of wood—promote the use of wood, instill environmental consciousness in future generations, and demonstrate that wood can be transformed into a powerful medium of artistic expression.

In addition to the exhibition of artworks, the festival program included nature walks, workshops, folk dances, dance performances, and concerts. During the festivals, artists continued working in workshops established in Odunpazarı, allowing visitors to observe live how wood was transformed into art using various tools. Moreover, tree planting and afforestation activities were carried out after each festival. Thanks to the Wooden Sculpture Festivals, 450,000 square meters of forest area were added to Odunpazarı within five years.

Following the Third International Wooden Works Festival, the artworks created by participating artists were brought together, and in 2016, the Wooden Works Museum was officially established by Odunpazarı Municipality. The maintenance, preservation, preparation, and restoration of the artworks throughout the year have been carried out in cooperation with the municipality. Initially, the works were exhibited at Ceramic Park, and in 2017 they were moved to their current location within the Kurşunlu Complex.

The museum displays works created by 300 artists and scholars from 68 countries. Covering an area of approximately 300 square meters, the museum houses nearly 235 artworks. Each piece is accompanied by an information plaque indicating the artist’s name and country of origin. The Wooden Works Festivals have become a traditional event under the organization of Odunpazarı Municipality, with the fourth festival held in 2018 and the fifth in 2019