Cartoon Art MuseumMedia Release -- Dear Friends of the Cartoon Art Museum,

Thanks to our many generous supporters, CAM is celebrating its 25th year of first-class exhibitions of original cartoon art, entertaining and educational family programs, and research opportunities for scholars. As we reach this milestone, I am reminded of the many challenges the museum has overcome to get this far. We could not have done it without those who‚ve contributed to our growth and success, but we still need your help to continue to offer our unique programming.

This past year has been especially challenging. Continued cuts in education and services leave families, teachers and youth counselors looking to us for additional resources. We‚ve been fortunate enough to help meet the challenge with funding from the Department of Children, Youth and their Families, The San Francisco Foundation and the Hellman Family Foundation for our cutting edge literacy (The Comic Book Project) and animation (Talking Points) programs. These inspiring efforts serve as our model for using cartoon art 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 Hilary Price (Rhymes with Orange), Nick Gurewitch (The Perry Bible Fellowship), and Paul Jon Boscacci (Fort Knox). In November, we hosted our sixth annual fundraiser at Pixar Animation Studios, which included a special screening of Toy Story 2 in 3D.

CAM‚s galleries have been buzzing over the last 12 months with a steady stream of notable shows. The Art of Coraline and Watchmen both featured original art and props from their respective motion pictures. We saluted 25 years of Usagi Yojimbo with The Art of Stan Sakai. The stylish work of pioneering cartoonist Nell Brinkley took center stage in The Brinkley Girls. The galleries currently feature a 50th anniversary exhibition of Disney‚s Sleeping Beauty, Once Upon a Dream, as well as, an exhibition of Internet cartoons, Monsters of Webcomics, and a retrospective of San Francisco-based underground cartoonist Spain Rodriguez, Rebel in Ink. CAM has also participated in a number of traveling exhibitions, including The Art of Harvey Comics, a superhero exhibition for The Academy of Friends‚ Oscar Night Gala fundraiser, and The Colors of Mary Blair, a Tokyo-based retrospective in collaboration with Studio Ghibli.

This year, we‚ve been offered a $1 for $1 matching grant from the Schulz Donor Advised Fund on the first $20,000 we raise, for a goal of $40,000.

If you‚ve ever considered making a donation to the museum, now is the time. Your contribution will be doubled. More importantly, the next generation deserves your support. Your kind response to our Annual Fund drive is essential to 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 use the enclosed envelope, call us at (415) CAR-TOON (227-8666), ext. 300 or donate online through our website (www.cartoonart.org). And remember the museum is always an unforgettable venue for any special event you might be 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

Please note Annual Fund contributions are not applied toward memberships.

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Ron Evans, Chair
Michelle Hlubinka
Michael B. Johnson, Secretary
Summerlea Kashar, Acting Director
Blake Lawit
Mike Todasco
Peter Westley, Vice Chair & Treasurer
Malcolm Whyte, Founder & Chair Emeritus

STAFF
Andrew Farago, Curator
Queena Hernandez
David Mann
Heather Plunkett, Bookstore Manager
Diane Shapiro Sommerfield, Education Director

INTERNS
Alice Casado
Neus Cortes Lemus

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The Cartoon Art Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit institution dedicated to the collection, preservation and study of original cartoon art in all of its forms.

Cartoon Art Museum
655 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
415-CARTOON http://www.cartoonart.org/

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 11am to 5pm
Admission: $6 General, $4 Students and Seniors, $2 Children (6-12 years old), Free for members and Children under 6

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Thank you for your support!