George Lucas is preparing to introduce a new way of looking at the images that accompany our lives. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will open to the public on September 22 in Los Angeles with an exhibition that brings together painting, illustration, comics, and film. Founded alongside Mellody Hobson, the project connects these art forms through a shared ability: storytelling.
The inaugural exhibitions will feature more than 1,300 works. Artists featured in the collection include Frida Kahlo, Artemisia Gentileschi, Norman Rockwell, and Robert Crumb. Their coexistence raises a question that runs throughout the project: Why do some images receive artistic recognition while others—capable of moving millions of people—remain associated primarily with entertainment?
The institution aims to give equal prominence to media that have not always been held in high regard within museums. Visitors will be able to engage with the images through their characters, conflicts, and emotions, as well as examine the techniques used. The opening dates and scope of the first exhibitions are detailed in the museum’s official press release.
The permanent collection comprises more than 40,000 works, according to the 2025 institutional announcement. The galleries are organized around recognizable experiences: love, family, community, childhood, work, sports, and adventure. This arrangement invites visitors to discover connections between works from different eras and in different formats, drawing on themes that the public recognizes from their own lives.
This journey encompasses murals, children’s books, movie posters, and science fiction illustrations. This selection broadens the focus to include objects that are usually found outside exhibition halls: publications read at home, images circulating on the streets, and characters passed down from one generation to the next. This is how the announcement for the November 2025 opening describes it.
The film archive adds a particularly appealing dimension for Lucas fans. It houses props, drawings, and materials from the first six *Star Wars* films, the first four *Indiana Jones* adventures, and other productions, including *Willow*. These items offer a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes work that goes into creating a finished scene.
The archives were established in 1983 at Skywalker Ranch, as production on *Return of the Jedi* was wrapping up. In 2013, they were donated to become one of the cornerstones of the museum. Their inclusion allows visitors to explore how an idea is transformed into a character, a vehicle, or a setting, according to the Lucas Archives’ presentation.
The building itself is also part of the experience. Designed by Ma Yansong of MAD, in collaboration with Stantec, it spans approximately 27,800 square meters across five floors. About 9,300 square meters are dedicated to galleries. Its curved, elevated forms are designed to interact with the light, the trees, and the landscape of Exposition Park.
All around, the gardens designed by Mia Lehrer and Studio-MLA transform former parking lots into spaces featuring walking paths, greenery, and gathering places. The complex includes two movie theaters, educational areas, and a rooftop restaurant. The architectural and landscape design can be found in the official description of the campus.
The library complements this spirit of exploration. It will house children’s books, comic books, magazines, and science fiction and fantasy publications, along with resources for visitors and researchers. Its collection will be available for on-site use only; items cannot be checked out, as explained in the library’s information.
Starting on September 22, the public will be able to explore this combination of images, objects, and narratives. For Lucas and Hobson, the museum serves as an invitation to recognize the value of the visual stories we learned to look at long before we asked ourselves whether they belonged to the world of art.
