The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will open in Los Angeles, in the Exposition Park, according to the L.A. Times.
The museum, according to the official website, will do away with the cultural lines distinguishing high and popular art in its displays. Instead, it will offer patrons the opportunity to experience many forms of narrative visual art, including painting, animation, film, and other mediums.
George Lucas, who is also known for the creation of the popular Star Wars series, founded the museum. He said that exploring narrative exposes a culture’s trajectory. The museum is not only to bring connections to familiar stories, but will make a meta-tale of narrative history.
Three chief categories are to explore the arts with different foci. The History of Narrative Art will contain visual artwork from throughout world history, The Art of Cinema will be devoted to the screen, and Digital Art will focus on technology. The collections will feature works ranging from clothing from House of Dior, to droid design sketches for Star Wars, to paintings by Edward Degas, to stills from Avatar.
The museum will coordinate with other organizations for education opportunities, and will host many different classes for those who wish to study the arts in greater depth. Part of the construction plans involve a 4,200 square foot library, lecture halls, interactive children’s classrooms, and theaters.
The museum’s construction is to bring at least 1500 jobs to L.A., as well as at least 350 permanent positions. More than $1 billion, which Lucas and Mellody Hobson have invested, will go into the project.
Lucas, according to the L.A. Times, already owns an extensive art collection, and has envisioned building a museum to house it for years. His museum will join the California Science Center and two other museums in Exposition Park, becoming part of the ever-growing scene in L.A. of culture around the arts.
