Ashlye M. Keaton

Ashlye Keaton has practiced law for more than 20 years in the arts, culture and entertainment sectors with a focus on intellectual property. She also advocates for strong arts and cultural policies and practices in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana. Ashlye is the Co-Founder of The Ella Project, a nonprofit based in New Orleans that serves Louisiana artists, musicians and culture bearers with direct legal, business and advocacy services. Ashlye is an adjunct professor at Tulane Law School, where she has received recognition for distinguished teaching, in addition to the University of New Orleans Graduate School in Arts Administration. Along with other legal successes, Ashlye helped the Mardi Gras Indians by arguing that their elaborate suits qualified for copyright protection as works of sculpture. She is also noted for her work around the New Orleans municipal noise ordinance and other regulations, policies and programs that impact arts and culture. Ashlye co-founded and is an emeritus board member for Music Policy Forum, a North American organization dedicated to providing resources and strengthening networks within the music sector. Ashlye is the Chair of the community advisory board for WWOZ 90.7FM and the Vice-President of the Tchoupitoulas Art Corridor. She has served on numerous boards including the Recording Academy, OffBeat Music and Cultural Arts Foundation, the New Orleans Fringe Festival, NOVAC and the Jazzy Hideaway. Beyond New Orleans, Ashlye has convened stakeholders and presented at conferences at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Georgetown University, Canadian Music Week, the NoncomMusic Alliance, National Endowment for the Arts, South Arts, and other organizations steeped in conversations around developing best practices focused on fairness and equity in promoting thriving creative industries and cultural ecosystems. Ashlye has been recognized with numerous accolades including Avenue Magazine’s 2022 Activists of the Year; OffBeat Magazine’s Best Music Attorney/Resource for 11 years; The Advocate’s Forty under 40; New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law; and the Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame Legal Eagle Award for her work with Mardi Gras Indians. Ashlye was a ballet/tap instructor and choreographer until 2020 and still enjoys dancing in her free time.