Daniel E. Stetson has over 40 years of executive museum, education, and curatorial leadership experience, including at public and private universities, government-based and private not-for-profit organizations. Stetson recently retired from the position of Executive Director of the LSU Museum of Art where he served for six and a half years. He more than doubled the photography collection holdings, began a significant collection of American studio ceramics, which has significantly diversified the collection holdings and permanent collection galleries. The exhibitions’ program was broad in scope and inclusive in its content.

Before coming to LSU, Stetson served as executive director of the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tenn.  Prior to that, he was the executive director of the Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland, Fla., for nearly 15 years. While there we initiated the Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition, a national project. He has been a judge for many art festivals and competitive exhibitions and projects. He Has served on major sculpture commission competition committees and grant and art review committees.

Stetson holds a BA in Art History from the State University of New York at Potsdam where he also studied studio art/photography and literature. He holds an MFA in Museology [Museum Studies] from Syracuse University and is a 2010 graduate of the Getty Museum Leadership Institute at Claremont Graduate University in Los Angeles. He has been active in his field regionally and nationally, serving on numerous museum association boards, grant committees, community committees, art juries, public art projects and as an AAM accreditation team member. Stetson served as President for both the Florida Association of Art Museum Directors and the Florida Association of Museums. He stays active in the arts and curatorial field. Currently he serves on the art selection committee for the Mount Dora Center for the Arts and as advisor to the Winifred and De Villo  Sloan, JR Charitable Fund. Stetson has worked in the arts and museum field in New York, Iowa, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and Louisiana. Stetson believes  that all art is local, and that great art happens everywhere.