Today, we honor a longtime supporter of the Racine Art Museum. Karen Johnson Boyd, age 91, passed away this morning in her Racine home following a brief illness. Nationally, Mrs. Boyd was known for her support of artists and arts education and particularly for her work on behalf of contemporary American craft artists. Here at RAM, she has been a major contributor of artworks to the collection, establishing the basis for what is now the largest contemporary craft collection in any US art museum.

"This is a sad day for RAM's extended family and for the entire field of contemporary craft," said Bruce W. Pepich, Executive Director and Curator of Collections at RAM. "Karen's generosity of spirit, her enthusiasm for this field, and her commitment to thoughtful financial support are things we honor today and for which we are very grateful. We will miss this extraordinary woman very much."  

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."