Expect to See George Lucas Museum in LA

San Francisco or Los Angeles? After years of searching, LA has become the home for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

George Lucas is the filmmaker of Star Wars and Indiana Jones series. The museum named after him will exhibit new genre of arts.

Once the museum is constructed, Lucas will showcase his art collection consists of about 10,000 paintings and illustrations including works by Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth and R. Crumb, along with Hollywood memorabilia from films like Star Wars and The Ten Commandments.

Lucas has been searching for the location of his museum since 2010, which he funds $1 billion for the construction and his art and an endowment of at least $400 million.

Mayor Eric Garcetti has been working to bring the Lucas Museum to LA, requesting the museum’s prospective map from a Chinese architect Ma Yansong. The design of the main building has a futuristic look, which reminds the spaceship in the Star Wars movies.

The city of LA plans to build the museum in Exposition Park. The museum is expected to become a new landmark in LA which will generate a considerable number of jobs and visitors. Lucas initially set his sights in the Presidio Park, San Francisco but faced community opposition from the city’s Presidio Trust about building in the historic park. The second candidate Chicago was eliminated as well due to the opposition.

LA has been chosen largely because Exposition Park positions the museum to have the greatest impact on the broader community, fulfilling our goal to inspire, engage, and educate a broad and diverse visitorship,” said the museum board.

Art historian Don Bacigalupi, a former president and executive director of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark., will serve as the founding president of the museum.

Original article by Byun-il Kim
Translated by Narae Lee