For nearly three decades, Larry Cooper helped shape the UCF School of Visual Arts and Design through his work as an educator, master book artist and printmaker. Cooper, who died Sept. 4, 2026, helped establish UCF’s book arts program, introducing generations of students to the craft of making books by hand.
Working through Flying Horse Editions and Gardyloo Handmade Books, Cooper collaborated with artists including William T. Wiley, David Humphrey and James Siena. His design for Siena’s Sequence One, published in 2009, contributed to the Museum of Modern Art’s acquisition of the book for its permanent collection.
Cooper’s own work is represented in collections including the National Gallery of Art, the Library of Congress, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
In addition to his teaching and studio work, Cooper served as assistant director of the UCF Gallery, where he helped organize exhibitions, support artists and connect the university with the broader community.
A faculty exhibition featuring Cooper’s work is planned, with a celebration of life taking place in connection with the exhibition on October 26 at 5 p.m. in the UCF Art Gallery.
Cooper is survived by his daughter, Raia Cooper ’26, his former wife, Micaela Riseling, and his mother, Jane. He will be missed by his SVAD colleagues and the countless students he mentored.
In lieu of flowers, the family invites gifts to the UCF Art Gallery and UCF Special Collections.
Read more from UCF Today:
Remembering UCF Gallery Assistant Director, Senior Lecturer Larry Cooper
September 22, 2026