Karen Johnson Boyd
Karen Johnson Boyd | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 16, 1924 United States |
| Died | January 29, 2016 (aged 91) |
| Occupation(s) | Art dealer, collector |
| Known for | Founder of Perimeter Gallery; major donor to Racine Art Museum |
Karen Johnson Boyd (May 16, 1924 – January 29, 2016) was a prominent American art dealer, collector, and billionaire heiress.
Early life
Born to Herbert Fisk Johnson Jr. and Gertrude Brauner Johnson, she spent her teenage years at Wingspread, a residence designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright for her father. The home was constructed between 1938 and 1939 in Wind Point, close to Racine, Wisconsin.
Career
As an art dealer, Boyd was a significant advocate for craft art. In 1982, she established the Perimeter Gallery in Chicago, focusing on the promotion of craft and contemporary artists. Over time, she contributed more than 1,750 pieces to the Racine Art Museum, along with an additional donation of 200 artworks in 1991. Boyd was instrumental in the creation of RAM’s new facility located in downtown Racine in 2003, where several galleries bear her name. She held the position of board member emerita at the museum.
Forbes reported her net worth as $2.7 billion in August 2015.
Personal life
In 1945, she wed Willard H. Keland; the couple had four children and commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design their residence, Keland House, in Racine in 1954. Following their divorce in 1965, Boyd continued residing there. She later married William B. Boyd in 1982.
Boyd passed away at her home in Racine on January 29, 2016, at the age of 91. She was survived by three children, one granddaughter, and two stepdaughters.