Carlos Cortez

Carlos Cortez (August 13, 1923 – January 19, 2005) was a postwar and contemporary artist who was also a poet, printmaker, graphic artist, photographer, songwriter, editor, muralist, and political activist. He was a member of the Industrial Workers of the World. Cortez had an extraordinary life with active political parents who taught him about pacifism and socialism. He followed his parents' path and became active in the IWW.

Early years Carlos Alfredo Cortez was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on August 13, 1923. He is the son of socialist parents Alfredo Cortez and Augusta Ungerecht. Carlos was raised in a multicultural, highly talented, and supportive home. Carlo’s father, Alfredo, was a Yaqui, Mexican, who spoke five languages but sang in seven. Alfredo worked as a construction worker, was a union organizer, and was a wobbly member of the Industrial Workers of the World. Carlos’s mother, Augusta was a socialist pacifist of German descent, spoke German, and was born in Racine, Wisconsin. Cortez enjoyed painting, sketching, and drawing. He chose not to attend a traditional college but instead took classes at the Layton Art Gallery. His father, Alfredo Cortez, used his influence to assist him in obtaining a job in construction. Another part of Cortez's life that made him happy was his wife, Mariana Drogitis, whom he met in 1957 when she visited Milwaukee. His works as a poet, muralist, and graphic designer were depictions of issues facing the average person and are displayed in local galleries and the Smithsonian Institution. DePaul of Modern Art in New York City.

Literary works

Cortez, C. (1990) This book is dedicated to my parents, - libcom.org. (n.d.). https://files.libcom.org/files/Crystal-gazing%20the%20amber%20fluid%20and%20other%20Wobbly%20poems.pdf Cortez, C. (1992). De Kansas a Califas & Back to Chicago. March/Abrazo Press. Cortés, C. (1997). Where are the voices? & other Wobbly poems (First edition.). C.H. Kerr Pub. Co.. Cortez, C. (1999). Carlos Cortez Exposición. Fundación de Estudios Libertarios Anselmo Lorenzo. Cortez, C. (2002). Carlos Cortéz Koyokuikatl: Soapbox artist & poet. Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum. Cortez, C. (2002b). Making Love with our eyes. Trafford. Cortez, C. (2002c). Viva Posada!: A salute to the great printmaker of the Mexican Revolution. Charles H. Kerr publ. Cortez, C., Cumpián, C., Ranney, D. C., Sasaki, F., & Arceo-Frutos, R. H. (2023). Coyote’s song: Collected Poetry and Selected Art. Charles H. Kerr Publishing Company.