Karen Johnson Boyd

Karen Johnson Boyd, 91, of Racine, Wisconsin, died January 29 in her home following a brief illness. Born in Racine, May 16, 1924, she was a lifelong resident of Racine and of Cable, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Herbert F. Johnson and Gertrude B. (Nee:Brauner) Johnson. She studied at Bennington College in Vermont. Mrs. Boyd was known internationally for her support of artists and arts education and particularly for her work on behalf of contemporary American craft artists. A longtime supporter of the Racine Art Museum (RAM), she has been a major contributor of artworks to RAM’s collection, establishing the basis for what is now the largest contemporary craft collection in any United States art museum. Mrs. Boyd grew up in Wingspread, the home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for her family in 1937. She loved the house so much that she commissioned her own Wright home, the Keland House, in 1954. That was the home she died in. In 1982, Mrs. Boyd opened Perimeter Gallery in Chicago which became one of the city’s most respected contemporary art galleries, known and respected throughout the United States. She loved visiting museums and galleries and helping artists share their ideas with others by supporting exhibitions and publications. Her support of artists and cultural education for the general public were acknowledged numerous times including receipt of: Wisconsin Governor’s Award in Support of the Arts and Wisconsin Visual Art Lifetime Achievement Award; Award of Distinction from the American Craft Council; and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Museum of Arts and Design, New York City. She was featured in Art & Antiques magazine’s annual 100 Top Collectors and in numerous articles in American Craft magazine. Although she was a world traveler, Mrs. Boyd most loved being with her family and friends in one of her two homes. She is preceded in death by her parents, her first husband Willard H. Keland, an infant son Willard H. Keland Jr., her daughter Andrea Kristine Moore (Tres), and her only sibling, her brother, Samuel C. Johnson. She is survived by her husband of nearly 34 years, Dr. William B. Boyd and three children: Katherine Nikolina Keland (John Krewal), Karen Henrietta Keland, Harold William Keland (Roxana), her granddaughter, Onnolee Keland, her sister-in-law Imogene Johnson, cousins, nieces, nephews, and a large extended family of friends. Relatives and friends are invited to a memorial service, Saturday, February 27, 2016, 2:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 716 College Avenue. In lieu of flowers memorials to the Racine Art Museum or the First Presbyterian Church of Racine are suggested.