Latest news with #LucasMuseumofNarrativeArt
Time Out
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
George Lucas gave a sneak peek of the Lucas Museum at Comic-Con
The Force was strong in San Diego over the weekend as George Lucas made his Comic-Con debut. The Star Wars creator joined Oscar-winning artist and Lucasfilm senior vice president Doug Chiang, Oscar-winning filmmaker and Lucas Museum board member Guillermo del Toro and panel moderator Queen Latifah to talk about what Angelenos—and the scores of people the museum will undoubtedly draw to L.A.—have to look forward to from the eagerly awaited Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. 'We're here today because my dear friend Goerge wanted to create a space where anyone could come and be inspired by the same art that inspired him,' Queen Latifah said to introduce Lucas. And while it was light on concrete details (like a specific opening date), the panel featured an interesting discussion of the upcoming museum that drew over 6,000 to Hall H on the final day of this year's Comic-Con. The creative minds assembled talked about the importance of narrative art—which 'tells the story of a society' and its common beliefs, according to Lucas—and shared some of the highlights of the museum's collection. Speaking to the Comic-Con crowd about the mission of the museum, Lucas explained that he's worked with hundreds of illustrators in his career, but lamented the fact that they don't receive enough recognition. To that end, he said his museum will be 'a temple to the people's art.' On his part, Chiang said he hopes that the Lucas Museum 'will inspire the next Norman Rockwell or Frank Frazetta.' And now for a bit of background on the museum itself. By now you're likely familiar with the verdant spaceship that's landed in Exposition Park between the Natural History Museum and the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. The curvaceous building topped with solar panels and gardens adds something decidedly different to L.A.'s architectural scene. Work on the $1-billion museum first broke ground in March 2018 after Los Angeles was chosen as the museum's home (San Francisco and Chicago were the other contenders). But due to delays including pandemic-related supply-chain issues, the opening date has been pushed back from 2021 to 2022 to 2023 to 2025 to finally (fingers crossed!) 2026. Situated on 11 acres, once it's completed the five-story, 300,000-square-foot museum will feature not only gallery space but two state-of-the-art theaters, as well as classrooms, a library, dining options and a gift shop. Outside, the lush landscaping is a draw unto itself—the green spaces will double as a public park open to all, no ticket needed. Inside the galleries, you'll find more than an institutionalized shrine to Star Wars, as might be expected. In fact, the 'Narrative Art' part of the museum's moniker reflects a collection Lucas has been amassing for the past 50 years, made up of tens of thousands of artworks that reflect the importance of illustrated storytelling. So you'll find pieces by Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo, Jack Kirby, R. Crumb, Beatrix Potter, N.C. Wyeth, photographer Dorothea Lange and more modern names like cartoonist Alison Bechdel all under the same roof—in short, something for everyone. Some recently announced collection highlights include the first-ever Flash Gordon comic strip, an original splash page from Black Panther (1968) and original Peanuts strips from the 1950s and '60s.
Kuwait Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
George Lucas brings the force to Comic-Con in historic first visit
Comic-Con fans pulled out their lightsabers Sunday to welcome 'Star Wars' creator George Lucas to the prominent pop culture convention for the very first time. Attendees lined up for hours to grab a seat inside the 6,500-person capacity venue in San Diego, California to see the legendary filmmaker behind the 'Indiana Jones' franchise speak at the event on its final day. Comic-Con, which draws some 130,000 attendees, has become an important platform for movie studios and their stars to showcase the latest film and television offerings, especially those with a genre fan base. 'We've been waiting five decades for this!' said panel moderator Queen Latifah, who oversaw the discussion by Lucas and other filmmakers. Instead of discussing his film works, however, Lucas graced the convention to preview the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art -- opening in Los Angeles in 2026 -- which the director co-founded with his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson. 'I've been collecting art since I was in college,' Lucas, 81, told the crowd, adding that he has amassed tens of thousands of pieces in his collection. 'I've been doing this for 50 years now, and then it occurred to me that what am I going to do with it all because I, I refuse to sell it. 'I could never do that, it's just, it's not what I think art is -- I think it's more about an emotional connection,' the director said. In his description of the museum, Lucas said the institution will feature a blend of works. US actress/singer Queen Latifah speaks at the Sneak Peek of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art panel in Hall H of the convention center during Comic Con International in San Diego. US filmmaker George Lucas speaks during the Sneak Peek of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art panel in Hall H of the convention center during Comic Con International in San Diego. They include illustrations by Normal Rockwell, Jessie Willcox Smith and N.C. Wyeth; artworks by Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White and Robert Colescott; and pieces by cartoonists and artists like Winsor McCay, Frank Frazetta and Jack Kirby. 'This is sort of a temple to the people's art,' he said in summation. The museum, housed in a sleek, curved building, will also feature items from Lucas's films and other exclusive pieces. For the 'Star Wars' mastermind, the museum aims to be a tribute to the importance of narrative art. 'When you're born, the baseline is fear. And as you go through life, you're curious about things, but you're especially curious about things you don't understand, and therefore that's a threat to you. 'And as a result, you make up stories to make it feel good,' he continued. 'Science fiction is a myth... but we've made it real because of science fiction books and art.' 'A critical moment' Among the other members of the panel were Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro and production designer Doug Chiang, who shaped the aesthetic of the 'Star Wars' universe for decades. 'What's remarkable about George is that he leads from the heart, and this museum is him,' Chiang said. Del Toro, who will release his latest film 'Frankenstein' in November, said many of the museum's pieces will celebrate freedom of speech. 'We are in a critical moment in which one of the things they like to disappear is the past, you know, and this is memorializing a popular, vociferous, expressive and eloquent moment in our visual past that belongs to all of us,' Del Toro said. The fantasy filmmaker also described comics as a medium with 'a lot of social conscience' and joked that comic artists 'were the first one to punch a Nazi' in their works. 'What a panel!' said attendee Jesse Goldwater, who traveled to San Diego from Los Angeles. 'They are the embodiment of Comic-Con itself, without them Comic-Con wouldn't exist.' — AFP
Chicago Tribune
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: Lucas museum amps up. The LA excitement could have been happening in Chicago.
Ever since Chicago spurned the Lucas museum, which would have been funded by at least $800 million in philanthropic investments from 'Star Wars' icon George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, a Chicago native, city snobs have pushed two narratives: one that the museum would never get built and another that it would not be any good if and when it did. Both of them are proving to be nonsense, as was obvious to us from the start. Back in 2016, Chicago lost a fully funded cultural attraction that would have drawn attention and visitors from all over the world. This was a Midwestern mistake for the ages. On Sunday, Lucas showed up for the first time ever at Comic-Con in San Diego to get people excited about the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. (Did we mention this could have been in Chicago?) He appeared alongside Oscar winners Guillermo del Toro and Doug Chiang on a panel hosted by Oscar nominee Queen Latifah. Do you routinely see such folks strolling down Michigan Avenue? Not since Oprah Winfrey left, you don't. Samuel L. Jackson narrated the 'sizzle reel,' promoting the museum. To say the Lucas appearance was a hot ticket is to understate. What will be in the 300,000-square-foot museum once it opens on its 11-acre campus in Los Angeles' Exposition Park next year? Paintings by Frida Kahlo, Maxfield Parrish, Kara Lewis and Norman Rockwell, comic book art from R. Crumb and Jack Kirby, original Peanuts and Flash Gordon comic strips, a fresco panel by Diego Rivera, illustrations by E.H. Shepard for 'The House at Pooh Corner.' The comic book covers that introduced Iron Man and Flash Gordon. Concept art from 'Indiana Jones.' A life-sized Naboo starfighter. That's just a taste. There will be, to say the least, a lot of interest in all those things. Chicago failed to understand what Lucas meant by 'narrative art.' But it's really not hard: his museum will be made up of the art to which people feel emotional connections and which forms much of the basis of our shared culture. The Lucas museum will be distinct from traditional art museums and will draw accordingly. Del Toro said Sunday that he, too, will likely deposit his own formidable collection of populist narrative art within the museum. Lucas called his decade-long endeavor 'a temple to the people's art.' The people's art. Chicago would have been its natural home. The dithering and naysaying that these days seems to come with doing anything substantial in this town lost us a potential jewel. What a colossal missed opportunity.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Lucas wows at Comic-Con
Comic-Con fans pulled out their lightsabers on Sunday to welcome Star Wars creator George Lucas to the prominent pop culture convention for the very first time. Attendees lined up for hours to grab a seat inside the 6,500-person capacity venue in San Diego, California to see the legendary filmmaker behind the Indiana Jones franchise speak at the event on its final day. Comic-Con, which draws some 130,000 attendees, has become an important platform for studios and their stars to showcase the latest film and television offerings, especially those with a genre fan base. "We've been waiting five decades for this!" said panel moderator Queen Latifah, who oversaw the discussion by Lucas and other filmmakers. Instead of discussing his film works, however, Lucas graced the convention to preview the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art - opening in Los Angeles in 2026 - which the director co-founded with his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson. "I've been collecting art since I was in college," Lucas, 81, told the crowd, adding that he has amassed tens of thousands of pieces in his collection. "I've been doing this for 50 years now, and then it occurred to me that what am I going to do with it all because I, I refuse to sell it. "I could never do that, it's just, it's not what I think art is - I think it's more about an emotional connection," the director said. In his description of the museum, Lucas said the institution will feature a blend of works. They include illustrations by Normal Rockwell, Jessie Willcox Smith and NC Wyeth; artworks by Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White and Robert Colescott; and pieces by cartoonists and artists like Winsor McCay, Frank Frazetta and Jack Kirby. "This is sort of a temple to the people's art," he said in summation. The museum, housed in a sleek, curved building, will also feature items from Lucas's films and other exclusive pieces. For the Star Wars mastermind, the museum aims to be a tribute to the importance of narrative art. "When you're born, the baseline is fear. And as you go through life, you're curious about things, but you're especially curious about things you don't understand, and therefore that's a threat to you. "And as a result, you make up stories to make it feel good," he continued. "Science fiction is a myth... but we've made it real because of science fiction books and art." 'A critical moment' Among the other members of the panel were Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro and production designer Doug Chiang, who shaped the aesthetic of the Star Wars universe for decades. "What's remarkable about George is that he leads from the heart, and this museum is him," Chiang said. Del Toro, who will release his latest film Frankenstein in November, said many of the museum's pieces will celebrate freedom of speech. "We are in a critical moment in which one of the things they like to disappear is the past, you know, and this is memorialising a popular, vociferous, expressive and eloquent moment in our visual past that belongs to all of us," Del Toro said. The fantasy filmmaker also described comics as a medium with "a lot of social conscience" and joked that comic artists "were the first one to punch a Nazi" in their works. "What a panel!" said attendee Jesse Goldwater, who travelled to San Diego from Los Angeles. "They are the embodiment of Comic-Con itself, without them Comic-Con wouldn't exist." Honouring Godzilla Meanwhile, Godzilla fans celebrated the Japanese monster's 70th anniversary at the pop culture convention Comic-Con. "I am a very big fan of Godzilla," said Angela Hill, a teacher who travelled from Arizona to take part in Comic-Con, which this year featured events and displays celebrating Godzilla. As the story of Godzilla goes, a prehistoric amphibious beast is awakened and mutated by nuclear bomb testing in the Pacific. It emerges from the sea and attacks Japan in a rage, symbolising the deadly power of nukes. "I think because he came from such a historic event - like, a lot of other monsters are just interesting creatures, but they don't hold the grief of a nation," Hill said, referring to the US nuclear bomb attacks against Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II. At the pop culture watering hole in San Diego, people lined up to shoot pictures and video with an image of Godzilla, which was also the theme of a panel discussion on Friday that featured Shinji Higuchi, who co-directed a reboot in 2016 called Shin Godzilla. The franchise includes nearly 40 films and has spawned hundreds of animated productions about the monster as well as TV series and graphic work. 'Rooting for him' On Saturday the writers Ed Godziszewski and Steve Ryfle signed autographs of their book Godzilla: The First 70 Years, which sold out at Comic-Con. "It's a rich history," Ryfle told AFP. "This is the longest running feature film franchise in cinematic history that's focused on a single, continuous character. It's been around longer than James Bond." He said the key to its longevity is that Godzilla has evolved over time but stayed faithful to its origins. "Godzilla has been serious, it's been scary, it's been heroic, it's been funny. But at the same time this is a movie character that's rooted in something that's very real," Ryfle said. "And that's the trauma that Japan experienced, both during World War II, and also the trauma of the aftermath of World War II, the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki," he added. He said Honda, who directed the first Godzilla movie, was a veteran who used the film to send a message against war and in particular against nuclear weapons. Michelle Pena, a Godzilla fan who waited in line to get the autograph of the two writers, said part of the monster's charm is how it has changed over the years. "Good, bad, hero, anti-hero, you know. And I like that," she said. "He's not, like, lovable," she added. "He's a big dinosaur-looking thing, you know. He's scary. But, like, you really, really find yourself rooting for him." AFP
Epoch Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
George Lucas Unveils New Museum During First Comic-Con Appearance in San Diego
'Star Wars' creator George Lucas made his first appearance at Comic-Con International in San Diego over the weekend, giving thousands of fans a sneak peek at his forthcoming Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, set to open in Los Angeles next year. 'This is sort of a temple to the people's art,' Lucas, 81, said on Sunday while speaking on a panel with veteran production designer Doug Chiang and Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who serves on the board of the museum. 'This museum is dedicated to the idea that ... any kind of story that is written to affect people and to build community is extremely important to society,' the 'Indiana Jones' creator said elsewhere during the conversation. 'Art illustrates that story, and that's the right hand of building a community, is you need the art to make it seem real.' Lucas first announced the project back in 2017. According to a July 27 press release, the museum will serve as 'the world's first institution dedicated to the exploration of narrative art, celebrating illustrated storytelling across eras and cultures, from ancient cave drawings and children's book illustrations to comic books and digital media.' Lucas co-founded the museum with his wife, Mellody Hobson. Once opened, it will showcase a variety of narrative artworks from the award-winning filmmaker's extensive 40,000-piece art collection, including the first-ever 'Flash Gordon' comic strip and original 'Peanuts' strips dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. During the discussion, the panel's moderator, singer Queen Latifah, revealed that Lucas had been stockpiling his vast repertoire of artworks for more than 50 years. 'I've been collecting art since I was in college,' Lucas told the audience at Comic-Con. 'I couldn't really afford real art. I love all art, no matter what it is, but I could afford comic art because in those days it was underground.' The new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will be housed in Los Angeles's Exposition Park, located across the street from the University of Southern California. In addition to the gallery spaces, the 300,000-square-foot facility, which was designed by renowned architect Ma Yansong, will feature two theaters, a retail store, a library, a café, a restaurant, and several event spaces. Chiang, the senior vice president of Lucasfilm, praised Lucas and Hobson for exposing younger generations to the art of visual storytelling. 'Comic art and magazine illustration were kind of looked down upon, but it was a way for me to enjoy art, and it invited me to learn more about art,' he shared. 'What I love about what George and Mellody are doing with this museum is they are acknowledging and giving respect to artists who really haven't been highlighted before.'
