The French government is to bestow on Atlanta attorney Baxter Jones the insignia of Knight in the National Order of Arts and Letters May 29 in recognition of his contributions to furthering the arts.
An attorney with civil litigation law firm Johnson & Ward since 1987, Mr. Jones has supported the Théâtre du Rêve, from its inception in 1996, first as a member of its board of directors and then as its president.
The Théâtre du Rêve is the only existing French-speaking theatre company in the United States.
“Baxter Jones has been an integral part of keeping Atlanta’s Théâtre du Rêve going strong,” Consul General Denis Barbet, said in a news release. “This French-American theatre company is a real gem, and we are very grateful for all that he has done to promote this company and French culture in general.”
Additionally, his participation was cited in the Louvre-Atlanta project that heightened the French cultural presence in the region and offered Atlanta the unique opportunity to view key works from the Louvre from 2007-10.
Mr. Jones served as a member of the Louvre-Atlanta host committee in 2006 and in 2009 has been a member of the Amis du Louvre.
Since 2011, he as been a member of the board of directors of the High Museum, enabling the museum to purchase work by French artists including Pierre-Jean David d’Angers and Jean Pierre Dantan.
Mr. Jones also is a former board member of the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, the Horizon Theater and the PushPush Theater.
Michael Shapiro, the High Museum’s director, and Anne Cox Chambers, the former U.S. ambassador to Belgium, are previous recipients of the award.
For Global Atlanta’s reporting on the Théâtre du Rêve, click here and here. For Global Atlanta’s reporting on Louvre Atlanta, click here.
GSU-CIBER is the presenting sponsor of Global Atlanta's Education Channel. Subscribe here for monthly Education newsletters.