lucas-museumThe Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will be built in Los Angeles after all.

There has been discussion for some months whether George Lucas would open his $1 billion project in Exposition Park LA or Treasure Island in San Francisco.

“After extensive due diligence and deliberation, the Board of Directors of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is pleased to announce plans to build the museum in Exposition Park in Los Angeles,” the museum’s board of directors said Tuesday in a statement. “We have been humbled by the overwhelmingly positive support we received from both San Francisco and Los Angeles during our selection process. Settling on a location proved to be an extremely difficult decision precisely because of the desirability of both sites and cities.”

“Art exists to inspire, to move, to educate and to excite,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “Thanks to George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, millions of Angelenos and visitors will enjoy an extraordinary collection anchored in storytelling — an art that carries so much meaning in the history and legacy of Los Angeles.”

lucas-museum-2The museum’s website states that it “will present original work by world renowned and emerging artists, cutting-edge digital technologies, and daily film screenings in state-of-the-art theaters, as well as extraordinary educational opportunities for students of all ages.” It will “feature a bold new architectural design and will be a one-of-a-kind gathering place to experience collections, films and exhibitions dedicated to the power of visual storytelling and the evolution of art and moving images.”

According to Garcetti, it won’t be a Star Wars museum but “a collection of narrative art in a city that has the best storytellers and storymakers in the world. The best collection of Norman Rockwell paintings on Earth. Works from R. Crumb.” It’s expected to open in 2020.

The site is on a narrow strip of land currently used as parking lots parallel to Vermont Avenue, within walking distance of Metro’s Expo Line and Memorial Coliseum. The design is by Chinese architect Ma Yansong.

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