The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana Billy Nungesser will recognize Monroe-based documentary photographer Jenny Ellerbe with the organization’s 2023 Documentary Photographer of the Year award at the Bright Lights Awards ceremony on May 11, 2023, at LEH’s historic Turners’ Hall headquarters in downtown New Orleans.
The award, which is part of LEH’s annual Humanities Awards, honors photographers whose work captures Louisiana’s history, culture or people.
Ellerbe’s photographs capture cultures ancient and modern. Whether documenting monumental earthworks built by Indigenous mound builders or tractor trailer–sized cotton bales awaiting transport, she invites viewers to consider the power of place in the Louisiana landscape.
In addition to Documentary Photographer of the Year award, the LEH has announced eight Humanities Awards recipients, including 2023 Humanist of the Year Chef John Folse. Now in their 38th year, the LEH Humanities Awards offer a collective opportunity to celebrate all the humanities have to offer and honor those who have made significant contributions to the understanding of Louisiana’s history and culture.
“For nearly forty years the LEH has honored the individuals and organizations who uplift the history and culture of our state through the LEH Humanities Awards,” said LEH President and Executive Director Miranda Restovic. “We celebrate the documentation, exploration, and interpretation of the humanities—and know that our own work is made possible only through the work of others.”
The awardees will be recognized during the organization’s annual Bright Lights Awards ceremony, presented by Entergy, returning in-person for the first time in three years on May 11, 2023, at LEH’s historic Turners’ Hall headquarters in downtown New Orleans. Full ticket and program details are available at leh.org.