Dear Friend of the Cartoon Art Museum,
Thanks to our many generous supporters, CAM is approaching its 25th year of providing first-class exhibitions of original cartoon art, entertaining and educational family programs, and continued opportunities for scholars. But lately, I have been concerned with what impact the current economic climate will have on the museum. Unfortunately, our expenses are not going anywhere, so you can imagine how even the slightest drop in revenue impacts a small institution like ours.
I’m sure that you’re also aware that over the past few years many arts programs in schools nationwide have already fallen victim to fiscal belt tightening. Teachers and youth counselors now look to us to fill the void — and we’ve been fortunate enough to help meet the challenge. With funding from the City of San Francisco, we launched cutting edge literacy (The Comic Book Project) and animation (Talking Points) programs this year. These inspiring efforts are the foundation for what we hope will become a model of how cartoon art can be used to motivate and educate young people.
The museum’s cartooning classes remain in high demand year-round as do its special presentations and book signings by artists such as Dan Piraro (Bizarro), Lloyd Dangle (Troubletown), and Keith Knight (The K Chronicles). In October, we hosted our fifth annual fundraiser at Pixar Animation Studios and our second annual Pixar Family Fun Day, which served over 400 children and their parents.
CAM’s galleries have also been buzzing over the last 12 months with a steady stream of notable shows. Farley’s San Francisco Chronicles: A Salute to Phil Frank celebrated the life and legacy one of the Bay Area’s favorite cartoonists. Sex and Sensibility, a look at the humorous side of love and relationships, included works by Liza Donnelly and Roz Chast of the The New Yorker. During the summer, the museum welcomed Casper the Friendly Ghost, Joe Palooka, and other loveable characters in From Richie Rich to Wendy the Witch: The Art of Harvey Comics. Our current showcase includes Colan: Visions of a Man Without Fear, a career retrospective of legendary comic book artist Gene Colan, and The Totoro Forest Project, featuring works by nearly 200 animators, cartoonists, and illustrators who drew inspiration from Hayao Miyazaki’s animated feature film My Neighbor Totoro.
If you’ve ever considered making a donation to the museum, now is the time. More importantly, the next generation deserves your support. Your kind response to our Annual Fund drive is essential to helping ensure that our programming will continue on for another 25 years.
Thank you in advance for your 100% tax-deductible gift. To make your contribution, please call us at (415) CAR-TOON (227-8666), ext. 300. And remember the museum is still the best place in town to hold that special event you’re hosting. Call us at the number above for more details.
Many thanks for your support. We hope to see you here soon!
Ron Evans
Chair, Board of Trustees
