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May 02, 2005

Guest Blogger: Daniel Stetson

Next up in our 'Guest Blogger' series is Daniel Stetson, executive director of the Polk Museum of Art.

When asked by Josh to write this "column" I had many thoughts about what to say or write about from advice about art collecting art to a discussion of the value of art as a tool for diverse cultural understanding and just good old fashion "fun". I wondered what you, the members of emerge, wanted to know, think about or discuss. When I was your age (not so very long ago) I was so very curious about the world but I was also concerned about career and family. My thoughts turned to the question of a quality of life and what that meant to me. I knew that a quality of life, of experience and friendships mattered to me. I've always liked crowds, fireworks, challenging architecture, beautiful things and the great outdoors. With all that in mind I want to tell you about a very interesting new report that I only yesterday began looking at.

Recently RAND Corporation published a monograph research finding entitled "Gifts of the Muse: Reframing the Debate About the Benefit of the Arts" (available at www.rand.org ). What has struck me most about this report is their emphasis on what they term "The Missing Link." After we consider the empirical data about economic benefits from the arts (Richard Florida has covered this very well in his book "The Rise of the Creative Class") and the cognitive benefits (increased SAT scores etc.) we might want to consider the "Aesthetic Experience and Its Intrinsic Benefits." Wow, a research institute saying art for arts sake is an important topic. If you've ever been moved by some form of art through making or experience - music, theater, dance, visual art - you know what this means. Remember when you made something you were proud of? Don't let age or "maturity" prevent you from seeking out an enjoying these private moments of growth and maybe even "epiphanies".

Putting this all together it is my suggestions to you that you find good friends through Emerge and without the all too easy excuses experience the arts in our community. You will grow from the experience of these intrinsic benefits - beauty and civilization are wonderful things - and you will have fun. If you care about education, economic development and quality of life you own it to yourself and no on else to enjoy, grow and experience the visual and artistic world in new ways. Consider the big picture. Keep curiosity and an openness to experiences alive inside you. Please stop by the Museum of Art, you might like it.

Maybe I'll write about some of the other topics another time. Have a great day - check out the RAND report - and I'll see you around town.

About Daniel Stetson
Daniel E. Stetson joined the Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland, FL as Executive Director, the Museum's CEO and Chief Curator, in 1996 with an extensive curatorial and museum operations background. His career has included working at Colgate University (1980-1981) and then the University of Northern Iowa Gallery of Art (1981-1987), where he oversaw the construction of a new art gallery and a substantial increase in the permanent collection holdings. As Director of the Davenport Museum of Art (1987-1991) in Iowa, Daniel curated numerous exhibitions and increased the Museum's permanent endowment fund by more than one-half million dollars.

In 1991, he was named the Executive Director of Laguna Gloria Art Museum (1991-1996) in Texas, where he oversaw the renaming of the institution as the Austin Museum of Art and the development of a five-year strategic plan through an NEA Advancement Grant. He facilitated the opening of a major downtown gallery space for the Museum, a preservation study of the historic Laguna Gloria site, the rewriting of the vision and mission of the Museum to be based on the tenet of "intellectual and cultural diversity" and he increased the Museum's operational budget by 50 percent.

Daniel has evidenced strong community leadership involvement since arriving in Lakeland in 1996. He has served on the board of the Florida Art Museum Director's Association and is currently Secretary and is a founding member of the Cultural Arts Board (CAB) of Polk County and was President (2001 & 2002), and served as President of the Friends of the Lakeland Public Library. Today he serves as a founding member and as an Executive Committee member of the Polk Arts Alliance. He is currently Treasurer for the Florida Association of Museums. He is a member of the steering committees for Lakeland Vision and Polk Vision (25 year community-wide long-range vision plans). He serves on the Harrison Arts Center School Advisory Council and has served on the USF Community Advisory Board and the former Motion Pictures and Television Advisory Committee for Polk County. Currently he serves on the Marketing Committee of the Tourism & Sports Marketing Department of the Tourist Development Board.

Representing CAB, and armed with a grant and partnership from USF, he is one of the principal managers for the first economic impact of the arts study for Polk County (resulting in a measured impact exceeding $35 million). He is involved in a second study which is underway (2005). Daniel is active as an accreditation site reviewer for the American Association of Museums Accreditation Commission and has served on grant review panels for the States of Florida, Texas, Iowa and North Dakota.

The Polk Museum of Art has grown substantially under his direction with total operating expenses now exceeding $1.6 million yearly (up from less than $1 million when he started). Under his direction the Museum undertook its largest ever private fund raising drive for $3.7 million and surpassed that goal. Additionally, Daniel established the Museum's first planned giving program, the Cornerstone Society. Major, year long, downtown sculpture projects are now a part of our community landscape in cooperation with the City of Lakeland.

Daniel has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Art History from SUNY College at Potsdam and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Museology (Museum Studies) from Syracuse University. He is a 2003 recipient of the USF Lakeland Distinguished Service Award. He is married to Catherine, an artist and photographer, with whom they have three children

Posted by Josh Hallett at May 2, 2005 09:05 AM

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