Tribune Publisher Among New Orleanians to be Honored by Local Culture and Tourism Organization
Beverly McKenna, co-publisher of The New Orleans Tribune and co-founder of The McKenna Museums, will be honored with the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award by the New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund.
Along with her husband, Orleans Parish Coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna, McKenna founded The McKenna Museums, which includes Le Musee de f.p.c., a house museum dedicated to legacy people of African descent, and The George and Leah McKenna Museum of Art, which showcases the visual aesthetic of people of the African Diaspora, including both emerging and master artists.
“The work that we have done with the museums has always been about interpreting, preserving, sharing, celebrating and showcasing the contributions of people of color throughout history through art and culture,” says McKenna. “Much of the art and material culture the museums feature are from our family’s personal collection that began nearly 50 years ago. When we founded the museums, we felt is was time to share it with our community. It has been a labor of love filled with purpose and passion. So to be honored simply for doing something that is important to you and something that has been so fulfilling is especially nice.”
NOTCF is a non-profit economic development corporation dedicated to supporting the local cultural economy and tourism offerings. The organization recently announced the recipients of the 2023 Inaugural NOTCF Honors Gala awards.
Other honorees include Aaron “Flagboy Giz” Hartley, who will receive the 2023 Emerging Artist. And several New Orleanians are being honored as 2023 Established Artists in their various fields, including: Culinary Arts – Edgar “Dooky” Chase IV, Chase Concessions; Design – Barry Kern, Kern Studios; Entertainment – Adonis Rose, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra; Literary Arts and Humanities – Vera Warren, Community Book Center; Preservation – Raymond Manning, Manning Architects; and Visual Arts and Crafts – Ayo Scott.
“Culture is the driving force of our economy, which is why NOTCF promotes preservation by
honoring those that make New Orleans a world renowned destination,” says NOTCF president and CEO, Lisa D. Alexis.
The honorees will be presented with awards designed by visual artist, Sheleen Jones during a special presentation at the Gala on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, at The Sugar Mill.
The NOTCF Honors Gala Awards follow a five-tiered selection process, with multiple rounds of credible candidates. The nominations were submitted via a public call where community residents nominated individuals in the six sectors that NOTCF supports. Qualifying nominations were then presented to the selection committee and winners were chosen anonymously.
