LOS ANGELES, California, September 17, 2026 — Los Angeles gets a new arts center designed to tell you stories. Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens in Exposition Park. Founded by filmmaker George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson, the museum folds illustration, comics, and cinema into a single romanticized art form.
A Building Designed Around Movement
The museum is situated on a roughly eleven-acre campus that at one time was used as surface parking for the city’s cultural corridor. Instead, its design — conceived by architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects — is a twisting shape rather than a boxy gallery. Architectural plans and project archives are available through MAD Architects.
The 300,000-square-foot multi-use building features thirty-five galleries spanning a total of 100,000 square feet of exhibition space. It will have two theaters, a research library, education components, and a public restaurant. The exterior grounds, designed at the same time as the building’s conception by landscape architect Mia Lehrer, incorporate shaded walkways and gathering areas to connect the museum with adjacent parkland.
What “Narrative Art” Actually Means
The museum describes narrative art in wide terms, as any work of visual art that tells a story or transmits an idea or collective memory. Its permanent collection features more than 40,000 objects, including paintings, children’s-book illustrations, comic art, and film artifacts. Information regarding exhibit principles and collection highlights can be found at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
In personal terms, George Lucas has described the underlying concept of the collection as a human endeavor, with artists trying to reach out and connect audiences into something greater than themselves. Co-founder Mellody Hobson said the aim is to construct “a museum of the people’s art,” that speaks to visitors’ own stories, not a narrow canon. That framing distinguishes the institution from museums that are organized explicitly by medium or historical era.
A Cultural Anchor in South Los Angeles
The site represents a significant cultural anchor in South Los Angeles, an area of the city that has often missed out on such institutions. It engages with the California African American Museum and Natural History Museum in an expanding cultural cluster at Exposition Park. Community programming will feature free public access in outdoor areas, in addition to paid admission to the galleries.
The museum has long argued education initiatives will be a primary focus from the day it opens. Organizers say exhibitions rooted in the community will help anchor the collection to its neighboring area, rather than treating it only as a tourist venue. Local educational partnerships and community initiatives are supported alongside institutions like the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The Importance of This Opening Beyond Los Angeles
The museum is one of the largest new privately funded cultural institutions to open in this country in several years. By emphasizing narrative art as a singular category, the museum undermines conventional divisions that keep illustration separate from fine art. Elsewhere, scholars and curators will most probably watch closely to see whether a similarly wide-ranging curatorial framework is taken on by other institutions.
The museum is yet another big addition to a city already filled with film and visual culture. It is also expected to put Exposition Park back in the national spotlight as a place of culture when it opens. Time will tell whether the museum transforms how an audience approaches storytelling in art when it finally opens its doors.
Their ticketing model features timed general admission and community access days, which are residence-focused. Pricing will be kept in line with other major Los Angeles museums, organizers have said, while steering clear of the fee aimed at a wealthier art audience charged by some private institutions. That method embodies the stated goal of their founders to create a cultural space for everyone, while not being an exclusive venue.
Early previews compare it to other recent landmarks for architecture based on making unusual gallery plans. Critiques of the sprawling design have been mixed; some love it, whereas others wonder whether such an expansive layout works for traditional gallery-going. The debates will probably continue when the public first gets a good look at the finished interiors themselves.
