Just below the bold, orange RAM banner that tells us that the building at Fifth and Main streets is the Racine Art Museum resides the name Karen Johnson Boyd in smaller, quieter lettering. As a lifelong resident of Racine County, and a member of our city's most famous Johnson family, Boyd is a familiar figure to some here in town. Chances are, however, that many who walk by the award-winning building where the galleries bear her name, are not aware of the impact Boyd has had on the art world not only in the Midwest but throughout the country and beyond.

That is because Boyd practices "the art of stealth philanthropy," according to a feature article about her in the December/January issue of American Craft, a national magazine with a circulation of 50,000. The 12-page spread, with striking color photographs of Boyd and her Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home, tells of her many accomplishments as a collector, donor, benefactor, publisher and all-around supporter of artists and art - especially craft - and how she has achieved them in a relatively quiet manner.

"Boyd isn't intent on amassing a collection for its own sake, but on promoting good art. And she has spent decades challenging assumptions about craft's place in the larger context of art," author Mija Riedel tells us.

She is a "stealth contributor" according to Bruce Pepich, executive director of the RAM, who states in the article that Boyd often operates "under the radar of public recognition."

While she has contributed nearly 1,000 works of art to the RAM's permanent collection through the years, the idea to attach her name to the art museum's galleries came from people at RAM, not Boyd.

"We were insistent about it," Pepich told us, "and it took quite a bit of talking to make her comfortable with the idea. The reason we did that was because we wanted to honor her ongoing support of every aspect of the museum."

Knowing that Boyd might be uncomfortable with being given such credit for her generosity, Pepich said the museum arranged it so that the overall galleries would bear her name, while still leaving room for individual galleries to be named after other supporters.

"She was delighted with that," he said. "She is an incredibly sharing person who welcomes partnerships and the opportunity to work together to make things happen."

The RAM director, who has known Boyd for 32 years, is one of several museum/gallery curators who share their insights about the collector and her work in the American Craft story. Other contributors include Kenneth Trapp, retired curator in charge of the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery, and Frank Paluch, director of Chicago's Perimeter Gallery, which Boyd founded in 1982 to showcase the work of interesting emerging artists.

The article also gives the reader the opportunity to get to know other sides of Boyd, from her days growing up in Racine as the daughter of Herbert Fisk Johnson to her time at Bennington College in Vermont, and her role as a mother of four children.

Now 84, Boyd is "still engaged" in her work, Riedel tells us.

And while notoriety is certainly not what she's after, it is nice to see one of Racine's strongest supporters recognized for her efforts by people near and far.

"Karen Johnson Boyd is a pure spirit dedicated to supporting artists and the development of their work," Pepich says in "American Craft.

She has "an incredibly accurate eye for locating the highest quality, most innovative concepts and the most challenging new ideas in artworks."

Visitors to the RAM on Saturday will have a chance to meet Boyd, as she will be at the museum at 441 Main St. from 2:30 to 4 p.m. signing copies of the magazine (copies will be available for sale at RAM).

The museum will also offer visitors a chance to create dazzling decorations that afternoon from 12:30 to 3 p.m. And, an exhibition tour will take place at 1:30 p.m.

For more about RAM activities during Downtown's Santa Saturdays, visit http://www.ramart.org

A copy of the current issue of American Craft magazine featuring "Karen Johnson Boyd and the Art of Stealth Philanthropy" is available at the Racine Public Library. You will also be able to view the article online at http://www.americancraftmag.org in about a week, according to the magazine's editors. Copies are also availble for sale at Milwaukee area stores, including Beans & Barley Market and Cafe, 1901 E. North Ave.

Lee Roberts is the arts and entertainment reporter for The Journal Times. Scene & Heard appears every other Thursday. Lee can be reached by phone at (262) 631-1755, by e-mail at at lee.roberts@lee.net and by mail at 212 4th St., Racine WI 53403.