Emilio Cortez: Artist, Community Champion, Game Changer

You don't have to walk far to find Emilio Cortez's artistic fingerprint in San José. His block lettering and coffee-inspired murals are visible at Nirvana Soul Coffee's location on S. First Street, and replicated on t-shirts and in their other stores.

His digital mural depicting local athletes, "San José Game Changers," is on view in San José City Hall through July 31. A collage featuring Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim Plunkett, Olympic gold medalist and World Cup soccer champion Brandi Chastain, professional basketball player Aaron Gordon, standout softball pitcher Keilani Ricketts and San José State's own "Krazy" George Henderson, Cortez's mural captures the energy, enthusiasm and skill of Bay Area greats.

In January, Cortez presented a large-scale Lombardi Trophy he painted in honor of Super Bowl LX, thanks to a commission from the San José Sports Authority and the National Football League. The four-foot figure stands proudly in the Locker Room, a visitor center and sports merchandise store located at 93 E. San Carlos Street - just two blocks from the campus where Cortez honed his artistic voice.

Both the mural and the trophy feature bold colors, bright graphics and a unique command of tone, texture and style - all part of Cortez's signature look.

He credits his parents for encouraging his interest in art as a child growing up in San José.

"They always took us to art museums, and exposed us to a lot of different art forms when we were traveling," says Cortez, '14 Pictorial Art. "They always allowed us to get as creative as we wanted. They let me paint on our house walls when I wanted to. If I wanted to go to the art store to try out new materials, they were always open to it."

Little did they know what Cortez had in store. Originally an animation and illustration major, he switched to pictorial art because he found greater freedom to experiment with form, material and style. In tandem with his visual art, Cortez discovered a passion for deejaying, thanks in part to his close friends who were radio deejays. He began deejaying local events and found a knack for selecting, mixing and curating music.

Despite his demonstrated artistic skill, or perhaps because of it, Cortez has found his professional niche as a community engagement specialist. Whether he was volunteering with the Boys & Girls Club of Silicon Valley, working as a senior coordinator in the 49ers EDU program at Levi's Stadium, Cortez sought out opportunities to serve diverse communities. He also served as the co-chair of 49ers L.E.A.D. (Latinx Empowerment, Advancement and Development), where he supported initiatives focused on representation, growth and community. Most recently, he worked as a community engagement specialist at The Tech Interactive, where he led outreach strategies and produced inclusive programs and events designed to expand access to STEAM learning across the Bay Area.

"Sports have a huge impact outside the games themselves, which are on TV every weekend," he says. "So much goes on behind the scenes, especially in terms of the impact you can make on communities. That's why I try to connect with my artwork, whenever I get the opportunity."

Cortez's artwork first took center field in 2022, when he designed a flag for Latino Heritage Month that caught fans' attention. The response was overwhelmingly positive, inspiring Cortez to approach the chief marketing officer at the 49ers with ideas for related merchandise, including images of sugar skulls for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and cutout designs reminiscent of papel picado, a Mexican artisanal craft.

"I went directly to our chief marketing officer and said, 'the fans are asking for this,' and that's all it took," he says. "Even people that didn't identify as Latino were so happy to have a unique piece of art created by someone local. I think it's important to have something at that high level and in the NFL that represents not only your organization, but shows that you actually listen to your fans and can represent them in different ways. I'm glad to be part of that history."

As for Cortez's next steps, he hopes to bring the overlapping Venn diagrams of his artwork and community engagement closer together.

"Community engagement work is something I find really enjoyable, especially being bilingual," he says. "Sharing resources with the Latino community has been important for me, because I know that a lot of people aren't aware of the resources that are available to help and support them. If I can be that bridge to help, that's the kind of work I'd love to do, whether that's for a company or in sports. We'll see what the future holds."