PROVIDENCE, RI.- The RISD Museum announced the appointment of Kris Wilton as its new Deputy Director, Audience Experience & Learning, effective April 14, 2025. Wilton brings a unique combination of strategic thinking, creative storytelling, and audience-centered leadership, shaped by a career spanning museums, journalism, publishing, and marketing.

Wilton joins the RISD Museum from the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston (ICA), where she spent over a decade shaping how audiences connect with contemporary art. Most recently, as Director of Creative Content and Digital Engagement, she led major institutional initiatives, including digital strategy, digital platform and content overhauls, and cross-departmental collaborations that expanded access and audience engagement. She has created interpretive media with dozens of contemporary artists.

"As Deputy Director, Kris will oversee interpretation, education, creative production, membership, and visitor services, helping us build a more cohesive, audience-first approach," said Tsugumi Maki, director of the RISD Museum. "Her leadership has always centered on thoughtful storytelling, strategic communications, and bringing people together—skills that will be invaluable as we expand how we engage with our communities and create more opportunities for connection."

Wilton holds a Master’s in Cultural Reporting and Criticism from New York University and a Bachelor’s in English from Muhlenberg College. She was also a Fulbright Teaching Fellow and has worked extensively across the arts, contributing to publications such as ARTnews, Slate, WBUR, and WGBH.

"I was excited to learn of the RISD Museum’s new role of Deputy Director, Audience Experience & Learning," said Wilton. "Its unique grouping of critical departments under one umbrella aligns with my experience bridging areas of expertise to create accessible communications for a variety of audiences. The opportunity to lead teams across departments toward rethinking and increasing engagement with the museum feels like both an exciting challenge and a natural next step."

At the RISD Museum, Wilton will lead efforts to expand learning opportunities, foster deeper connections between the museum and its communities, and develop innovative initiatives that invite both new and returning audiences to engage with the museum’s exhibitions, collections, and programs. She will also play a key role in advancing the museum’s new strategic plan, which focuses on deepening engagement, increasing accessibility, and broadening participation.