Artist, author, poet and unrepentant rebel worker Carlos Cortez died on January 18 at his home in Chicago. He was 81.

Cortez' imprisonment as a conscientious objector during World War II led to his membership in the Industrial Workers of the World -- the Wobblies. His support for the union and a lifelong committment to the rights of working people everywhere remained a central theme of many of his legendary wood and linoleum-cut graphics, as well as his editorial and poetic works, and helped bring international attention to Mexicans and other indigenous peoples. He was columnist and editor for the IWW union paper, 'The Industrial Worker', from the late 1950s to 2005, and the author of four books.

In 1975, Cortez helped to found the first Mexican arts organization in Illinois, Movimiento Artistico Chicano, or MARCH. Cortez was also an active member of the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, Chicago Mural Group, Mexican Taller del Grabado (Mexican Graphic Workshop), Casa de la Cultura Mestizarte, the Native Men’s Song Circle and Charles H. Kerr Publishers. Cortez’s work is in the collection of the Smithsonian Institute and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Read More

Chicago Indymedia joins with Carlos' family, friends and fellow workers in mourning his passing. Those seeking to honor his memory may make a contribution to the American Indian Center at 1630 W. Wilson Ave. or the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

Related Links: A Tribute to Carlos Cortez - Rebel Graphics
Related Stories: Carlos Cortez - by Kari Lydersen, Center Stage

An Interview with Carlos Cortez - by Christine Flores-Cozza