The George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens its doors in Los Angeles on September 22, following over a decade of planning, construction, and anticipation from fans worldwide. Showcasing over 30 art galleries, a sculpture garden, 13 acres of expansive green space, and a free research library amongst its campus offerings, George Lucas and Mellody Hobson have transformed the former asphalt parking lot in LA’s Exposition Park into an institution that redefines what belongs on a gallery wall.
Lucas is best known as the mind behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones, but he sought to create a museum that could cater to more than just movie buffs. The California native has been collecting art since he was a college student over 50 years ago. What started as a few comic pieces has since grown into a diverse collection of more than 40,000 works, all of which tell a story.
“A picture is very powerful, and stories are very powerful,” Lucas said at a media preview for the museum on September 2, “those two elements create a society.”
Hobson, who has been married to Lucas since 2013, is also no stranger to the narrative arts. The CEO and businesswoman was once chairman of DreamWorks Animation, spearheading the company during the release of blockbusters including installments to The Penguins of Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon.
Lucas and Hobson’s combined collection spans different cultures and generations, with each piece being curated in a way that attempts to dissipate hierarchies that have become the norm of typical art museums. Along with sizable paintings from iconic American artists such as Norman Rockwell and Frida Kahlo, the museum features galleries with comic books, manga, and other illustrations that have historically been viewed only between paper pages. Notable artists include Robert Crumb, or R.Crumb, a legend in the gritty underground comix scene of the ’60s; Jim Davis, who created Garfield; and Charles Schulz, the cartoonist behind Peanuts. Galleries span different storytellers, themes, and mediums of art, featuring titles centered on motifs such as “Motherhood” and “Sports.”
