The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has revealed its inaugural exhibition schedule, curated by George Lucas himself, ahead of its official public opening on September 22, 2026.
Visitors to the museum will explore human history and the human condition, beginning with the designs that inspired the museum’s architectural vision. The galleries will feature extensive examinations of Americana, highlighting the works of Thomas Hart Benton and Norman Rockwell, alongside dedicated series exploring everything from childhood, family, and play, to the inner workings of civic life.
Documentary photographer legends like Gordon Parks, Dorothea Lange, and Robert Capa will also be featured. Additionally, the collection delves into major historical events, large-scale public murals by artists such as Diego Rivera and Judith F. Baca, and the iconography of the American West.
C-3PO and R2-D2 Outside of Jabba’s Palace c. 1981
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
Beyond the real world, the exhibition celebrates the boundless realms of imagination through dedicated showcases of illustration, sequential art, and cinema. Guests can explore the Lucas Archives’ selection of production designs, props, and costumes, or immerse themselves in narrative forms spanning adventure, fantasy, and sci-fi through the works of Frank Frazetta, Boris Vallejo, and Georges Méliès.
The museum will highlight the golden age of illustration with pieces by Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth, and Jessie Willcox Smith, alongside children’s literature illustrations by Beatrix Potter, Leo Politi, and Jacob Lawrence. Rounding out the collection is a tribute to graphic storytelling, featuring influential Japanese manga and anime, as well as American and European comics by visionary creators such as Jack Kirby, Alison Bechdel, Frank Miller, and Mœbius.
John Philip Falter, ‘Soda Fountain’ 1946
Located in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is a sprawling 11-acre campus designed to be a new cultural hub. The project features a 300,000-square-foot building by Ma Yansong of MAD, with Mia Lehrer (Studio-MLA) overseeing the expansive new green spaces. Stantec served as the executive architect. The facility includes galleries, two theaters, a library, a restaurant, a café, a retail store, and dedicated community areas.
The museum’s foundation stems from Lucas’s personal need to house and display his massive, 40,000-piece art collection. Lucas emphasized the emotional connection inherent in this kind of art: “It’s more about a connection and emotional connection with the work, not how much it cost or what celebrity did it. If you have emotional connection, it’s art. If you don’t, just move on to the next painting.”
Chris Achilleos, ‘Eagle Warrior’
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art