Emma Roberts

Mary Emma Roberts (1859–1948) was an American artist and visual arts educator who worked primarily in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She produced watercolor paintings of plants and flowers, was one of the cofounders of the city's Handicraft Guild and also worked as an arts educator in the Minneapolis Public Schools.

Early life and education Roberts was born in Germantown, Philadelphia in 1859. She had two brothers, Thomas Sadler Roberts and John Walter. Her father, John Sadler Roberts, was a successful real estate businessman; when she was 7, he relocated the family to Minnesota due to poor health from tuberculosis. With Quaker ancestors both Emma and Thomas Roberts grew to love nature. Emma grew interested in the wildflowers along roadsides, in the woods, and in prairies. The friendship with Joseph and Susan Kingman was beneficial for Roberts later in life when she needed funding for the Handicraft Guild. Roberts was later sent to live with relatives in Maryland and Philadelphia for "finishing" to be exposed to music, the arts and upper class society. It is unknown whether she completed high school before being sent to "finishing" school.