A museum dedicated to digital storytelling was planned for a long time. It is no surprise that the person behind this risky idea is one of the greatest storytellers of all time: George Lucas. After two abandoned projects, this museum finally opens in Los Angeles Sept. 22. The museum was created by Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, and cost $1 billion.
“This has been a long haul ... part of the problem is I’m a contrarian. I don’t like to do things that people think can be done,” Lucas told reporters at a private press opening.
The museum has a website already running, showcasing featured galleries and items. There will be sections with comics, children’s stories, fantasy and history. The website also displays examples of art to give people an idea of what to expect.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, once it opens later this month, will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. It will extend its hours to 9 p.m. on Friday and open an hour earlier over the weekend.
The museum is to be seen as a “temple to the people’s art.” Lucas displays the art of a multitude of artists in order to show underappreciated art and different forms. It is 300,000 square feet and resembles a spaceship. There are also two movie theaters, as well as dining, retail and learning spaces.
Lucas himself was not always successful like he is now. His movie “THX 1138” was a box office flop. It was his directorial debut; a movie in which humans are drugged and controlled by robotic police. He argued with the studio so much about the new way he was trying to make movies that nobody was happy in the end.
It is no secret that Lucas was an inspiration to filmmaking and changed how movies are made today. In this museum, he is able to promote an inspirational message. Parts of “THX 1138” will be displayed in the museum as a way to inspire people with its creative and futuristic view of art.
There will also be a lot of “Star Wars” memorabilia, as the movie did so much for the narrative film community. Walking into the museum, guests are greeted with a starfighter from Naboo. Unfortunately for those fans, “Star Wars” only takes up about 7% of the museum. The exhibit in the museum is meant to be like one in a history museum, where visitors would go through the timeline of narrative film.
There are recreations of ancient cave paintings accompanied by a portrait of King Henry VIII. It would be incredibly difficult to bring the original copies to the museum, so they will be displayed in unique ways. Guests can still get a good view and understanding through this unique alternative.
It is not just about the look of art or the sound of the audio track; the museum will also focus on art from pivotal times in history, like the Civil Rights Era. There will also be art by Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol and Diego Rivera.
“Peanuts,” “Lord of the Rings,” “Pokémon” and so many other works of art are featured in the museum. Some people might say Lucas only put “famous” art in his museum, but it is famous for a reason. So many pieces of art and literature have shaped the way we continue to tell stories today.
The idea for this museum is to show where humanity came from, just like in a history museum. It is important to recognize that humans pushed for this change. History has evolution and the world moving on its own, but people put their minds to the future, and it changed for the better.
Future great artists will be able to visit the museum and become inspired to do whatever they want. It can be in painting, sculpting, filmmaking and anything else they excel in.
