Daniel Stetson, who has more than 30 years of executive museum leadership experience, has been hired as the executive director of the LSU Museum of Art, effective Jan. 1.
Stetson comes to Baton Rouge from Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he served as executive director of the Hunter Museum of American Art. Prior to his work there, Stetson was executive director of the Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland, Florida, for nearly 15 years. He has also previously directed museums in Austin, Texas, as well as Davenport, Iowa, and Hamilton, New York.
“Daniel brings a great deal of leadership and experience to the museum, and we look forward to seeing him take an already great LSU Museum of Art even further,” says LSU President F. King Alexander in a prepared statement.
Stetson was selected from among two finalists who interviewed with LSU students, faculty and staff last month. He takes over for LSU Music & Dramatic Arts Executive Associate Dean Kristin Sosnowsky, who has served as interim executive director of the museum since former executive director Katie Pfohl left in May for a job at the New Orleans Museum of Art.
“My focus will be on the continued growth and impact of the museum within the LSU community and within the diverse culture of the greater Baton Rouge region,” Stetson says in a prepared statement.
In his new position, Stetson will be responsible for developing and executing the vision for the LSU Museum of Art in alignment with the university’s goals and mission. The museum has been located in The Shaw Center for the Arts in downtown since 2005, when it was relocated from the Memorial Tower on the LSU campus.
“Our goal as a leading university museum is to positively impact the arts and culture found in the unique south-central United States region as we reach out and serve our diverse audiences,” Stetson says in the statement. “The re-installation of the permanent collection is a significant undertaking, and we will soon share these treasures and the stories found in these holdings in a dynamic new framework.”
LSU has more details on today’s announcement.
