Denise Bastien is the Registrar for Documentation & Digital Resources, at Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design (aka The RISD Museum), a position she’s held since 2010, and as Collection Information Special at the RISD Museum since 2002. Denise is responsible for all aspects of managing the RISD Museum’s collection information and digital asset management systems, and their integration into Museum operations. 

Denise values the challenge of working in small to mid-size cultural heritage institutions with limited resources, conflicting priorities, and slow change management, to optimize technology ecosystems. She brings a deep understanding of the significance of managed metadata and its importance in building connections whether it be through systems or with people.  

Prior to coming to the RISD Museum, Denise was the Assistant Director, Historic Site Administrator, and Archivist at the John Nicholas Brown for the Study of American Civilization, (aka the John Nicolas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage) at Brown University, and Graphics Curator at the Rhode Island Historical Society. Denise holds a degree in cultural heritage preservation and has worked in public history, archives, museums, and special collections for over 38 years. She is currently a Member, of the Standards and Practices Interest Group, in the National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA) and a Member of the Steering Committee of the Rhode Island Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Development Group.