‘Star Wars’ Creator George Lucas Steps Inside His Dream Project as New Museum Nears Opening
A new look at George Lucas inside his long-awaited Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has been released, giving fans a glimpse of the project he has spent years bringing to life.
According to a recent feature from Vanity Fair, the museum is more than just another cultural attraction in Los Angeles. For Lucas, it represents decades of thinking about storytelling, art, and the way stories connect people across generations.
The museum, which is scheduled to open in September, sits on an 11-acre site in Los Angeles and has been in development for over a decade. Lucas has worked on the project alongside his wife, Mellody Hobson, who has played a major role in shaping the museum’s vision and visitor experience.
The building itself is already attracting attention because of its unusual design. Created by architect Ma Yansong, the structure features curved shapes, flowing interiors, and almost no straight lines. Vanity Fair described it as looking like something that could have come from one of Lucas’ own science-fiction worlds.
For Lucas, however, the focus is not the building. It is the art inside.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will showcase more than 1,000 pieces selected from a much larger personal collection gathered by Lucas and Hobson over the years. The collection includes illustrations, comic art, movie artwork, photography, paintings, and other pieces centered on storytelling.
Lucas explained that the museum was created to celebrate artists whose work often gets overlooked by traditional museums.
“I’ve worked with hundreds of illustrators and they never get credit for anything. They’re not going to end up in museums, because the art world is elitist and illustrators are seen as lowly,” Lucas said.
One of the biggest goals behind the museum is making art feel accessible. Lucas wants visitors to connect emotionally with what they see rather than feel intimidated by it.
“My feeling is, art is emotional; it’s not intellectual,” he said. “Are you emotionally connected to it? If you’re connected, it’s art. And if you’re not, then it’s not art.”
The museum will feature artwork ranging from Norman Rockwell paintings to comic strips, fantasy illustrations, movie props, and even exhibits connected to Star Wars. Lucas has stressed that the museum is not a Star Wars museum, but some items from the franchise will be displayed as part of its broader focus on storytelling.
Hobson said the museum was also designed with local communities and younger visitors in mind. Educational programs, affordable options, and public spaces have all been built into the experience.
Lucas believes stories have always played an important role in human history, from ancient cave paintings to modern films. That idea serves as the foundation for the entire museum.
“You have to have a story, and the story is the mythology of the society,” Lucas explained. “It doesn’t have to be true. In fact, everybody knows it’s not true, but it’s emotional. It sticks. It becomes important to the society.”
After creating one of the most successful film franchises of all time, Lucas now appears focused on preserving and celebrating the art of storytelling itself. With the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art finally nearing completion, visitors will soon get to experience that vision firsthand.
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