The SI MoCCA Arts Festival is a 2-day multimedia event, located at Metropolitan Pavilion in the heart of Chelsea. MoCCA Fest is NYC’s largest independent comics and cartoon festival, drawing over 7,000 attendees each year. First held in 2002, the annual small-press comic convention was held by The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) was located at 594 Broadway and offered exhibits, education programs. In 2012, The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art closed its doors and transferred its collection to The Society of Illustrators upon condition that a gallery be created in their museum to showcase comic/cartoon art and the MoCCA Fest would continue.

Since then, the SI MoCCA Arts Fest has continued to grow into one of the largest independent comic and cartoon festivals nationwide, with over 400 exhibiting artists displaying their work, award-winning honorees speaking about their careers and artistic processes and other featured artists conducting demos, lectures and panels.

Learn more about the Museum of Illustration at the Society of Illustrators

Founded in 1901, the Society of Illustrators is America’s longest-standing nonprofit organization dedicated to the art of illustration. Located on the Upper East Side, the Society’s Museum of Illustration advances its mission to promote the art and appreciation of illustration, its history, and its evolving nature through exhibitions and educational programs.

The Society of Illustrators is located at 128 East 63rd Street, in a graceful five-story townhouse on a quiet residential block on the Upper East Side. Originally built in 1875 as a carriage house for William P. Read, a personal secretary to financier J. P. Morgan, the building is situated near many of New York’s renowned cultural institutions, Central Park, and the elegant shops and restaurants of Madison Avenue.

Today, the Society of Illustrators is home to three galleries, a library, a beautiful garden terrace, and the historic 128 Bar. Visitors are welcome to explore the space and discover artwork by masters of the industry, emerging artists, and beloved fan favorites. The Society of Illustrators also aims to promote cartoonists and illustrators year-round by hosting several annual competitions as well as events such as book signings, workshops, and the annual Holiday Craft Fair!