Los Angeles approves long-awaited George Lucas art museum
The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday gave its unanimous approval to George Lucas’ Museum of Narrative Art, which may break ground this year at Exposition Park.
The “Star Wars” creator addressed the council before its 14-0 vote to OK an environmental impact report and other details.
“For a very brief time I actually grew up here,” said Lucas, who has a film degree from USC, which is just north of the park. “That’s where I learned movies. That’s where I learned my craft. Basically where I started my career was in school here.”
Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, the business executive who is a driving force behind the project, had also considered building the museumin his hometown, San Francisco, or hers, Chicago. Finally it came down to the two California locations, with L.A. announced as the site in January. Ma Yansong of MAD Architects will design the museum, which is expected to open in 2021.
The cost of the project, estimated at $1 billion, will be footed by the Lucas family. There also will be a $400-million Lucas endowment.
“It is the largest private gift in our city, in our state or in our nation’s history,” said Councilman Curren D. Price Jr., whose district includes Exposition Park.
Per the Los Angeles Times’ art critic Christopher Knight (who’s not a fan of the idea), the museum will include illustrations for magazines, posters and children’s books by artists including Maxfield Parrish, Arthur Rackham, Beatrix Potter, Frank Adams and Norman Rockwell; a small group of paintings by Edgar Degas, Winslow Homer, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Everett Shinn and others; and lots of movie set designs, costumes and storyboards.
Lucas’ personal collection of art and cinematic memorabilia is the foundation of the new museum’s offerings, and yes, “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” will be represented.
“With unanimous support from our City Council, the Lucas Museum is officially coming home to L.A.!” Mayor Eric Garcetti said on social media Tuesday, posting a picture of himself with the council members, Hobson and Lucas.
Good news for “Star Wars” creator George Lucas. The Los Angeles City Council voted on Tuesday morning, giving the green light for the filmmaker to build the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
A project that will cost $1.2 billion, the musum will be located in a neighborhood near the University of Southern California (USC), where Lucas attended.
What will be in the museum?
According to reports, a diverse collection of works including pieces from Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, R. Crumb, Luke Skywalker’s light saber, original concept art and props from “Star Wars,” etc.
Inititally, Lucas had planned on breaking ground in Chicago or San Francisco. In January, he made the announcement that Los Angeles would be the home to the eclectic museum.
Mr. Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson celebrated on Tuesday at City Hall.
“A long time ago in a city not so far away, two people had a dream for a museum, and we said from the beginning that the force was very strong here in Los Angeles,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news conference after the vote.
Construction is set to begin in early 2018, with an opening planned for 2021.
