The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will open to the public in Los Angeles next week, bringing a new kind of museum experience to the city’s Exposition Park.
Founded by filmmaker George Lucas and philanthropist Mellody Hobson, the museum explores the history of visual storytelling across cultures and centuries, from ancient art and illustration to comics, cinema and murals.
“The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art was created to honor humanity’s stories and the artists who illustrate them,” said Lucas, in a press statement. “The artists in this collection didn’t just create images, they connected our modern imaginations with our ancient emotions—with common beliefs creating community. Their work spans genres, media, and time. They deserve to be in a museum.”
Narrative Art Showcase in L.A.
The 300,000-square-foot museum houses more than 100,000 square feet of gallery space across more than 30 galleries. Its collection includes more than 1,300 works in the inaugural exhibitions, while the broader collection spans painting, illustration, photography, comics, film materials and other forms of visual storytelling.
The museum’s significance extends beyond its collection. Narrative forms such as illustration, comics and cinema have historically received less institutional attention than traditional fine arts. The Lucas Museum places those mediums alongside painting and sculpture, presenting them as part of a continuous global history of how people use images to tell stories and shape culture.
The inaugural exhibitions take visitors through themes including mythology, heroes, family, romance, fantasy and adventure. One highlight is Star Wars in Motion, which draws from the Lucas Archives to showcase concept designs, props and costumes from the first six Star Wars films.
The building itself is another draw. Designed by architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects with Stantec, the sculptural structure rises above a new 13-acre park and gardens. Its sweeping, curved form has no straight lines, while a 185-foot central arch and rooftop oculus create dramatic connections between the building, surrounding landscape and Los Angeles skyline.
Beyond the galleries, visitors can explore a free Research Library, two theaters and Skywalker Grill, the museum’s full-service restaurant serving California-inspired American cuisine. The landscaped campus also features more than 300 trees and 10 monumental outdoor sculptures and is free and open to the public.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens Sept. 22. Tickets and visitor information are available through the museum’s website.
For more information, visit lucasmuseum.org.
