The French government plans to honor the director of Georgia State University's Rialto Center for the Arts.

The French consulate in Atlanta says Leslie Gordon will be honored Wednesday as a knight in the National Order of Arts and Letters. The distinction was established in France in 1957 to recognize eminent artists, writers and people who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world.

Other prominent Atlantans who have received the honor include High Museum of Art director Michael Shapiro and Anne Cox Chambers.

The consulate says Gordon has "raised the bar of the artistic scene in Atlanta, notably by bringing a French flair to the city."

Tags: French consulate, rialto center for the arts, leslie gordon