DANBURY, Connecticut — The Gallery at the Visual & Performing Arts Center (VPAC) at Western Connecticut State University, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury, will present “Legacy of the Line: The Work of Leslie Cober and Her Father Alan E. Cober” on view from Thursday, Sept. 3, through Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, featuring selected artworks that trace familial influences and shared characteristics in the artistic output of each artist. A prior installation of the exhibition was presented at Farmingdale State College in 2025.
“Legacy of the Line” explores Leslie’s vibrant artistic vision while revealing how these qualities echo her father’s revolutionary expressionist approach that transformed post-war American illustration. While each artist has forged their own distinct path — Leslie through her award-winning, uplifting illustrations and leadership in the arts community; Alan through his gritty, journalistic style — the exhibition illuminates the artistic threads that connect their remarkable bodies of work, celebrating both innovation and continuity across generations.
An Opening Reception will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in the VPAC Gallery. Regular Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.
Leslie Cober will deliver an artist talk in the Gallery at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, in conjunction with the M.F.A. Visiting Artist program. Admission to the reception, exhibition, and artist talk is free and open to the public; donations to support the programs of the Department of Art will be accepted. Reservations to attend the opening reception or artist talk should be made online at www.wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com.
About the artists
Leslie Cober is the Director of the M.F.A. in Illustration program at the University of Hartford. Her distinguished, award-winning career encompasses professional illustration, curatorial projects, academic leadership, and community engagement in the arts. She serves as President of the Society of illustrators, is Associate Professor of Illustration at Fashion Institute of Technology, and for many years was a member of the WCSU Department of Art faculty, teaching both undergraduate (B.A., B.F.A.) and graduate (M.F.A.) students in the Illustration program. Leslie Cober’s vibrant illustrations have appeared in numerous domestic and international publications and initiatives, with storytelling and human connection as essential, enduring themes in her work. A leading arts advocate, Cober represented the United States at the United Nations Climate Conference, curating a poster exhibition in collaboration with the German Consulate, which featured work by artists from five continents. She is a recent recipient of the NYC OTTY (Our Town Thanks You) Award for leadership and contributions that strengthen the city’s cultural community.
Alan E. Cober (1935 – 1998) was a trailblazing American illustrator, known for incorporating Modern art concepts into his artistic style while other commercial illustrators were tethered to more traditional representation. A prolific draughtsman who referred to himself as a “visual journalist,” Alan E. Cober published a portfolio of drawings, “The Forgotten Society: Lives Out of Sight in Nursing Homes, Prisons, and Mental Institutions” (Dover, 1972). He produced work for NASA, CBS, TIME magazine, the New York Times, Rolling Stone and many other publications and commissions. A passionate educator, Cober was a professor of art and distinguished visiting artist at the University of Buffalo, State University of New York, where his family and friends established an endowed scholarship in his name. Alan E. Cober was posthumously inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame for Lifetime Achievements in Illustration in 2011.
For more information, contact the Department of Art at robeaul@wcsu.edu.
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