BY JESSICA ZALEWSKI
Through the end of the year, the Racine Art Museum (RAM) is dedicating all of its galleries to artwork given by collector Karen Johnson Boyd (1924-2016) to honor her lifelong commitment to supporting the arts.
A series of four individually titled exhibitions will highlight her interests and accomplishments, including a partial reprise of a figurative clay show she curated, recognition of her role leading Chicago’s Perimeter Gallery and a focus on artists she admired such as Warrington Colescott, Margaret Ponce Israel and Ken Loeber.
Boyd has been the largest single benefactor to RAM. Over four decades, she gifted more than 1,700 works, including ceramics, textiles, glass, metals and works on paper, to the museum. In 1991 alone, Boyd gave over 200 works, grounding the museum’s craft focus and setting the stage for RAM to become the holder of America’s largest contemporary craft collection.
Open through Dec. 20, “Honoring Karen Johnson Boyd: Collecting In-Depth at Home and at RAM,” is organized by categories of fiber art, work from Japan, work from Perimeter Gallery artists and functional ceramics.
Open through Feb. 3, “Honoring Karen Johnson Boyd: A Multi-Dimensional Approach,” features two-dimensional and three-dimensional works in a variety of media.
Open through Feb. 3, “Honoring Karen Johnson Boyd: Art Jewelry/Sculpture to Wear,” includes brooches, neck pieces and earrings made of both precious and non-precious materials.
Open through Jan. 20, “Honoring Karen Johnson Boyd: Contemporary Clay,” takes a focused look at one of her most long-lived loves: works made of clay.
RAM is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday with admission of $7 for adults and reduced fees for students and seniors. Members and those who visit on First Fridays are free.
For more information, call (262) 638-8300 or visit ramart.org.
Jessica Zalewski is the marketing and publications manager for the Racine Art Museum.
https://view.publitas.com/belle-city-magazine/2018-august/page/18-19