Harriett Davis Cortez has had a varied career communicating ideas and images as a photo editor for the US Information Agency in Washington, D.C., Times-Picayune columnist, local jazz concert organizer and freelance fashion photographer. A life-long artist, in 1994 she received a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of New Orleans.  Her sculpture has been included in national juried shows including the Alexandria (La) Museum of Art, Beacon Gallery (Boston), Viridian (NYC), and A.C.T.S. (Me) galleries.  Local juried shows include the CAC,  LeMieux, Jonathan Ferrarra, Marguerite Oestricher Fine Art galleries.  She has also exhibited at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum,   School of Arts and Crafts, Gallery Mesa Arts Center (Az.), Art in the Old Capital in Baton Rouge and South Bend Museum of Art, (Ind.). She participated in an Invitational Arts Council Artist in Residency Program, the public art event Festival of Fins, and was a featured artist in Tribe TV pilot for a local art series. 

Cortez’s art career was put on hold in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina which destroyed her home, studio, equipment, most of her artwork and all of the slides of her work.  In 2019 she was able return to art-making. Her awards include 1st Place $5000 prize from the 2020 Art Flow regional arts festival sponsored by Baton Rouge Arts Council, Juror Merit Award (San Marco Arts Center, TX), Sculpture award (Boston Beacon Gallery), Regional Alpha Awards for published fashion photographs and New Orleans Press Club awards.