Brookfield Zoo Hispanic Heritage Month: Xavier Cortada

Xavier Cortada is a Cuban-American artist whose work transforms public spaces into platforms for community engagement, education, and activism. Inducted into the State of Florida Artists Hall of Fame and appointed as Miami-Dade County's inaugural Artist-in-Residence, Cortada has been commissioned to create art for the White House, the World Bank, and CERN, among many other art, science, and government venues. In 2007 and 2008, through the National Science Foundation and the New York Foundation for the Arts, Cortada became the only artist to create work at both of the Earth’s poles. His polar projects launched multiple large-scale environmental justice initiatives including “The Underwater,” a community-led sea level rise campaign that has been recognized by the White House’s 5th National Climate Assessment and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In recognition of his impact, Cortada has received a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Excellence in Science Communications Award, a Creative Capital Award, and an Environmental Law Institute National Wetlands Award. Learn more at cortada.com