Emma
Richardson Cherry was born in Illinois. She attended the Art
Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League of New York in
1883. She received training from William Merritt Chase, Henry
Bainbridge McCarter, Kenyon Cox, Hugh Breckenridge, Rhoda Holmes
Nicholls and other important American painters. She then traveled to
Paris and Venice to study with equally exceptional European painters
including Andre’ L’hote,
Luc-Olivier Merson, Jules Lefebvre,
and Vettore Zanetti Zilla. While at Paris she entered her painting
in the competitive exhibition at the Paris Salon. Retuning to the
United States she married and in 1887 moved to Colorado where she
taught at the University of Denver and helped organize the Denver
Artist Club. In 1893 she moved to Houston and by 1895 had won four
first prizes her first Texas exhibition. At the turn of the century
she was recognized as Houston’s leading artist and art authority.
She helped found the Houston Public School Art League and assisted
the San Antonio Art League in its early development. She painted
portraits of numerous prominent Texans while exhibiting in
prestigious venues i.e., Davis Wildflower Competition (1927-1928);
Texas Centennial (1936); Texas Pan American (1937); National
Exhibition of American Art; Rockefeller Center New York (1937);
Western Art Association, Omaha; the Art Institute of Chicago;
World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago; Denver Artist's Club; Fort
Worth Art Museum; Southern States Art League; Houston Art League.
She was also honored with numerous solo exhibitions. She was to have
a long and lasting impact on Texas art.