Image: Cartoon Art Museum, San Francisco
The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco has announced that it will not renew its lease at 781 Beach Street, bringing its current location to a close on Sunday, August 2, 2026. The museum said the lease expires at the end of August, but that the Beach Street site will close on August 2 as it begins to regroup and plan its next chapter.
In a July 31 update posted by the museum, Executive Director Summerlea Kashar described the decision as the end of “this chapter” after nearly 42 years connected to the location. The statement says the institution is taking time to recharge, reset and consider what comes next, while also stressing that it is “not disappearing” and will continue to share updates as plans for a future iteration develop.
The museum framed the move as a pause after a period shaped by both growth and difficulty. It noted that ten years ago the cartoon community helped launch a new phase for the museum’s Fisherman’s Wharf home, with support from funders that enabled the move to Beach Street. Since then, the institution said it has faced the pandemic and a slow recovery, but also staged many exhibitions, events and educational programs at the site.
The update highlighted the range of programming presented there over the years, including exhibitions devoted to comics, animation and cartoon history. Among the examples listed were 'Smile! The Comics of Raina Telegemeier', 'A Tribute to Mike Mignola’s Hellboy', 'March: A Graphic History of the Civil Rights Movement', 'Pre-Code Horror: Scary Stories and Ghastly Graphics from E.C. Comics', 'They Called Us Enemy', 'The Rocketeer: The Life and Art of Dave Stevens' and 'Pinoy Power! A Celebration of Filipino Komiks from the Archipelago to the Bay'. The museum also pointed to spotlights such as 'Emerging Artist Showcase: Popeye 90th Anniversary' and 'Edward Gorey' as part of its run at the site.
The institution said it also hosted a steady stream of special events and talks, naming visits and programs involving Nidhi Chanani, Jen Wang, Thi Bui, Maia Kobabe and others, along with events such as 'Queer Comics Expo', 'Chuck Jones Pop Up Gallery', 'The Essential Peanuts: A 75th Anniversary Event' and screenings and conversations tied to animation and comics projects. It added that the museum offered regular toon talks, cartoonist IRL events, sketch and activity sessions, and monthly workshops for children, teens and adults.
According to the museum, more than 80,000 visitors came to the Beach Street location, alongside thousands of school tour participants and hundreds of students in monthly and summer cartooning classes. The statement was signed by Kashar and members of the board and staff, including Board Chair Ron Evans, Treasurer Michael B. Johnson and Secretary John Butler. The museum says it will remain in touch with supporters as it determines its next iteration.
