6 days Ago
The Cartoon Museum has opened its latest display, Cats in Cartoons, spotlighting feline favourites from the past 75 years. The exhibition features famed cartoon cats such as Garfield, Bagpuss, and Krazy Kat, celebrating their appearances in British comics, newspapers, and magazines. Local artist Holly Burrows, who works at the museum, has contributed significantly to the exhibition.
In March, she visited Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, where she sketched various cats, incorporating them into a short film for the exhibition. The film offers visitors a unique glimpse into the cattery and Ms Burrows at work. The final pieces will be sold in the museum shop, with a portion of the profits donated to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
The exhibition, which opened recently, is a partnership with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. It not only showcases over 100 cartoons and comics but also highlights the vital work Battersea does to protect and advocate for the welfare of cats. Visitors can view interviews with staff, providing insights into their daily operations and stories from the London cattery, which, along with the charity's two other centres, benefits over 2,000 cats per year.
Staff will share their experiences and encourage visitors to get involved in caring for cats themselves. The exhibition explores various aspects of cats in art, from their representation in LGBTQ+ pop culture to their symbolism as greedy business executives. It also delves into the more individualistic aspects of their character, as seen in the sardonic wit of Garfield or the food-seeking adventures of Simon's Cat.
The Cartoon Museum, located in Fitzrovia, London, has been a significant champion of cartoon and comic art since 2006. It has welcomed 420,000 visitors, built a nationally important collection of 4,300 cartoons, comics, and caricatures, and a library of 18,000 items. The museum also runs a well-attended school programme and sell-out school holiday workshops.
Over 50,000 children and adults have attended cartooning, comics, and animation workshops at the museum. In recognition of its community engagement work and autism provision, the museum received a Museums & Heritage Award in 2023 and was acknowledged at the 2024 Best in Heritage awards. The museum recently held the celebrated exhibition Wallace & Gromit: 30 Years of the Wrong Trousers, which broke the museum's own attendance records.
For more information about the Cats in Cartoons exhibition, you can visit The Cartoon Museum at 63 Wells Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1A 3AE..
