Carlos Cortez remembered.

• Position: On the Line - Brief Article - Biography

Poet, artist, and peace activist Carlos Cortez died at his Chicago home earlier this year. Best known for his linoleum-cut and wood-cut graphics, he captured the dignity of oppressed people. The Smithsonian Institution and the Museum of Modern Art in New York display his art, as do community centers.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Cortez was imprisoned for eighteen months as a conscientious objector during World War II. In 1947, he joined the Industrial Workers of the World and later became a columnist and editor of its paper, The Industrial Worker. During the 1970s, he was part of Chicago's Chicano muralist movement, and in 1975, he helped found Movimiento Artistico Chicano (MARCH). He did not survive on his art; he worked in...