‘Star Wars’ fans and art lovers line up for new Lucas museum
The Museum of Narrative Art opens on Tuesday, drawing visitors eager to see its striking, spaceship-like architecture.
Los Angeles residents, including Star Wars super-fans and art aficionados, flocked to the grand opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art on its first day. The museum, built by filmmaker George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson, features a design reminiscent of a spaceship that draws visitors into its world. The 82-year-old Lucas, alongside Hobson, opened the doors to the first 100 visitors, personally shaking hands with each of them.
Among the enthusiastic attendees was Eric Cheung, a dentist and realtor wearing a Star Wars X-wing pilot costume, who quickly became a museum member and even volunteered his time. Cheung appreciated the museum's mission to tell stories through its art, saying, "Each art piece tells a story. Everybody can look at the same thing, and then we can create different stories."
The museum's location in a former parking lot near the University of Southern California, Lucas' alma mater, marks a significant moment for the neighborhood. For Brenda Chambliss, a long-time resident of the area, the museum's presence represents a positive change. The museum's striking architecture and the surrounding public park offer a refreshing contrast to the neighborhood's history of crime and poverty.
Visitors passing through the museum's entrance are greeted by a life-sized yellow Naboo N-1 starfighter from "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace" (1999), but the true treasure lies within its vast exhibition space of over 9,300 square meters. The museum houses works from renowned artists such as Banksy, Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White, and Robert Colescott, as well as comics by Jack Kirby, Frank Frazetta, and illustrations by Norman Rockwell, Jessie Willcox Smith, and N.C. Wyeth.
Sandi Granados, a cosmetologist working in the film industry, expressed her delight at Lucas using his platform to bring together artists of various talents. For Granados, it's not just about Lucas, but his dedication to connecting local and established artists under one roof.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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