Beloved SF Cartoon Museum Closes After 42 Years Following Curator's Arrest

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The Cartoon Art Museum, a longtime San Francisco institution, has closed its doors after more than 40 years.

Executive Director, Summerlea Kashar, said in a statement Friday that the museum would not be renewing its lease when it expired at the end of August, a decision brought on by years of strain following the COVID-19 pandemic.

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"It is time to close this chapter," Kashar said in the statement. "We are not disappearing. We will take this time to recharge, reset and consider what comes next."

The museum's last day was on Sunday.

The closure also comes weeks after the museum's longtime curator, Andrew Farago, was arrested on suspicion of secretly recording guests inside his Berkeley bathroom during a party in May.

Farago, in court documents, called his behavior "an inexcusable violation of your privacy" and that he was "prepared to face whatever consequences will come from this tremendous lapse in judgment."

The Cartoon Art Museum was founded in 1984 and has housed about 9,000 original pieces, including comic strips, cartoons and graphic novels. It was also known to offer classes and workshops for children and adults.

It lost its longtime home at 655 Mission St. in 2015 before landing at its current 8,000-square-foot space near Ghirardelli Square, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

"So while our lease may be ending, our story will continue," museum officials said, before signing off with a nod to the Looney Tunes: "That's Not All For Now, Folks."