The Cartoon Art Museum has announced that it will not be renewing its lease at its Beach Street address when it expires at the end of August. The location will officially close on Sunday, August 2, 2026. The organization said in its announcement that it will regroup to determine what the next chapter of the Cartoon Museum should be.

The museum opened up ten years ago at its Beach Street location but has faced challenges due to COVID and a slow recovery after.

The Cartoon Art Museum was founded in 1984 and featured original cartoon art, exhibitions, screenings, workshops, research, and various events. It houses 9,000 original pieces of art in its collection and has welcomed over 500,000 visitors since it opened.

Beyond its economic issues, the recent curator for the museum, Andrew Farago, was arrested and is facing charges. He was soon let go after news of his arrest spread. It is unknown if his departure is related to the decision to not renew the museum lease.

The news of the closure comes about month after the the Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts closed its doors.

We’ll of course have updates as more news released as to the future of the museum and how the comic community the greater public can rally to build the next iteration of it.