Ever wonder where comic strips, animation, and graphic novels find a home? That’s the Cartoon Art Museum. It is located here in San Francisco. The Cartoon Art Museum is the only museum in the Western United States dedicated to cartoon art.
The Cartoon Art Museum was founded in 1984 by cartoon art enthusiasts. Malcolm Whyte was the primary founder. Initially, the Cartoon Art Museum lacked a permanent location. It organized showings in various museums and corporate spaces. Then, in 1987, Charles Schulz provided an endowment. This allowed the museum to establish a home in the San Francisco Call-Bulletin Building. It was in the South of Market area.
In late 1994, the Cartoon Art Museum temporarily closed for relocation. It reopened in the summer of 1995. Around the same time, Malcolm Whyte retired from the board. In 1997, despite a new endowment from the Schulz Foundation, the museum faced financial difficulties. It almost had to close.
Jenny E. Robb was the curator from 2000 to 2005. Andrew Farago then took over as curator in 2005. In 2001, the Cartoon Art Museum moved to a ground-floor location on Mission Street. In mid-September 2015, the Cartoon Art Museum closed this location, because the lease expired. The owners more than doubled the rent.
In late 2016, the Cartoon Art Museum signed a 10-year lease. It was for a historic building near Ghirardelli Square. In late October 2017, the Cartoon Art Museum reopened. The new location featured three exhibitions. These included a retrospective of Raina Telgemeier and a tribute to Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. It also featured the work of Nidhi Chanani.
The Cartoon Art Museum has a permanent collection. It features around 7,000 pieces as of 2015. This includes animation cels, comic book pages, and sculptures.
Over the years, the Cartoon Art Museum has presented the Sparky Award. It is named after Charles M. Schulz’s nickname. It honors lifetime achievement in cartooning and animation. The Charles M. Schulz Museum co-sponsors the award. The award includes a Snoopy statuette. Snoopy is holding a pen and leaning on an inkwell. The Sparky Award debuted in 1998. Winners have included Charles Schulz, Chuck Jones, and John Lasseter. More recently, Raina Telgemeier received the award in 2022.
The Cartoon Art Museum hosts several major exhibitions each year. It also offers classes for children and adults. Additionally, it features lectures, a research library, a classroom, and a bookstore.
Today, the Cartoon Art Museum stands as a gateway to imagination. It celebrates established and emerging creators. It provides opportunities for future talents. Take some time to explore the exhibitions. Draw your own characters. The Cartoon Art Museum is a place where creativity comes to life.