Instant Cartoon Booth (2026)

Instant Cartoon Booth at SFArtsED Gallery at Minnesota Street Project (2026)

 
 

Instant Cartoon Booth (2026)

SFArtsEd Summer Camp Art & Design: Cartoons, Illustrations & Zines (ages 10 thru 14) Students

Abigail, Alexa, Atticus, Dominic, Dorrin, Fern, Guadalupe, Henry, Natalie, Quentin, Sadie, Thisbe, Zachary

Artist Mentor

C.K.Itamura 

Statement

Instant Cartoon Booth is a life-sized participatory art project which the students designed, constructed, decorated and created signage for themselves. It is modeled after popular Instant Photo Booths found at shopping malls and entertainment centers. Artist Mentor, C.K.Itamura provided guidance and assistance with materials selection, tools and structural integrity.

Rather than drawing static cartoons on paper or in a book, Instant Cartoon Booth allowed the students — and allows you, the public of all ages - to engage in an art project that incorporates the drawing of cartoons or caricatures with real in-person interactions.

Instant Cartoon Booth is the culmination of two weeks of individual, cooperative and collaborative studio work while having fun.

INSTRUCTIONS: How You Can Use The Instant Cartoon Booth

STEP 1 - Find a partner; one of you will be “The Artist” and the other will be “The Customer:

STEP 2 (THE ARTIST) - The Artist will:

  1. Go to the Backstage Area behind the Instant Photo Booth and look in the Backstage Box and grab a Sharpie and a prepared cartoon slate out of Backstage Box.

  2. Sit in the Artists Only part of the booth.

  3. Wait for The Customer to sit in the customer side of the booth and push play money through the slot to you to “pay” for the portrait.

  4. Peek through the hole in the wall to see the customer.

  5. Countdown 60-seconds out loud and at the same time draw a quick cartoon portrait of the customer using a Sharpie on the prepared slate.

  6. When 60-seconds is over, then push the completed cartoon portrait through the slot in the wall to The Customer.

  7. Put the Sharpie back in the Backstage Box and put the play money back in on the Prop Box on the Waiting Area side of the booth.

STEP 2 (THE CUSTOMER) - “The Customer” will:

  1. Go to the Waiting Area side of the Instant Photo Booth and select a piece of play money and a prop from the Prop Box.

  2. Go into the Instant Cartoon Booth, have a seat and pull the curtain closed.

  3. Push the play money through the slot in the wall and face that wall while holding your selected prop up near your face.

  4. Wait for the 60-second timer to count down. (The Artist on the other side of the wall is the timer and will countdown 60-seconds out loud.)

  5. After 60-seconds if over, a completed cartoon portrait of you will come through the slot in the wall.

  6. Take your portrait and the prop and exit the booth.

  7. The portrait is yours to keep. Put the prop back in the Prop Box.

STEP 3 - Now, switch places with your partner and do it again!

Type

educational, cartooning, illustration, design, materials reuse, construction, cooperative, collaborative, interactive

Venue

SFArtsED Gallery at Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA

Dates

Summerscape 2026 exhibition August 8 thru September 19, 2026