Don Marshall Receives WYES-TV’s Celeste Seymour Judell Arts Award

New Orleans, LA —Don Marshall, Executive Director of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, was honored with the Celeste Seymour Judell Arts Award on the Thursday, June 23, 2022 edition of STEPPIN’ OUT, WYES-TV’s long-running arts and entertainment discussion program hosted by Peggy Scott Laborde.

Marshall has been the Executive Director of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation since 2004. He was the founding director of the Contemporary Arts Center and the Executive Director of Le Petit Theatre Du Vieux Carre’. He additionally served as the Executive Director and was a co-founder of the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival. 

“Celeste was an arts patron and activist who was interested in both the local visual and performing arts scenes,” said Laborde. “For almost 45 years, Don has been active in curating art exhibitions, providing space and securing funding for local artists and musicians. He epitomizes Mrs. Judell’s generosity of spirit.” 

During his 18 years with the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, Marshall has overseen the foundation responsible for the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, WWOZ, the Heritage School of Music and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Archive. 

In addition, Marshall helped develop the foundation’s Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, Congo Square Rhythms Festival, Treme Creole Gumbo Festival and the Louisiana Cajun Zydeco Festival.

A New Orleans native, Marshall was also chairman and co-founder of the New Orleans Film and Video Festival and co-founder of the Krewe du Vieux Mardi Gras Parade.  He was the Executive Director of the St. Tammany Art Association and held positions at both the University of New Orleans and Southeastern Louisiana University in arts administration.

The WYES Celeste Seymour Judell Arts Award is presented annually in honor of the longtime New Orleans arts patron and WYES volunteer who died in 2010. Past award recipients include the Helis Foundation, Albinas Prizgintas, Allison Stewart and Campbell Hutchinson, Ricky Graham, Dennis Assaf and Sydney and Walda Besthoff.         

STEPPIN’ OUT airs every Thursday at 7:00 p.m. on WYES-TV, wyes.org and on the WYES and PBS apps. 

About WYES:
WYES is the storyteller for New Orleans, southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. For 65 years, WYES has earned a reputation for quality PBS programming, award-winning local documentaries and cooking series. Thank you for making WYES a vital source of education, information and entertainment — on air and online. For more information, call (504) 486-5511 or visit wyes.org.

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