San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum closes after curator's privacy violations

The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf officially closed on Sunday after 42 years of operation, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and slow recovery, though it left open the possibility of reopening in the future. The closure follows the June arrest of former curator Andrew Farago on 20 counts of invasion of privacy for secretly recording party guests, including children, in his Berkeley bathroom. Farago lost his job after the allegations surfaced, and the museum's lease at its current location is ending. The museum, which moved from Mission Street a decade ago after rent doubled, has hosted over 80,000 visitors and offered classes for kids. Executive director Summerlea Kashar promised the institution "will not be disappearing" as it packs up and regroups.