The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles will open on September 22 with roughly 20 inaugural exhibitions curated by Lucas, spanning more than 30 galleries and over 1,200 objects that reach beyond Star Wars to include manga, comics, children’s literature, and broader narrative arts.

The museum’s mission centers on visual storytelling from prehistoric to contemporary imagery, aiming to inspire, shape beliefs, and build community.

Exhibitions trace the evolution of storytelling through images, from ancient sculptures to modern cinema, and will include props and costumes from the Lucas Archives.

Initial galleries will cover architecture and design influences, as well as Beatrix Potter and E. H. Shepard illustrations and works by Thomas Hart Benton in depicting everyday life.

The program features large-scale murals by Diego Rivera and photography by Dorothea Lange and Gordon Parks, alongside broader documentary photography and iconic imagery of the American West.

Themes span fantasy, everyday life, childhood, anime, work, and adventure, appealing to fans of novels and blockbuster films alike.

Six exhibitions will spotlight individual American artists, including Benton, Frank Frazetta, Jessie Willcox Smith, Maxfield Parrish, Norman Rockwell, and N.C. Wyeth.

Exhibitions will highlight comic and graphic storytelling with artists like Jack Kirby and Alison Bechdel, as well as manga and anime, alongside broader categories such as Everyday Life, Civic Life, and Narrative Forms.

The Exposition Park campus encompasses about 11 acres with a 300,000-square-foot building designed by Ma Yansong, featuring extensive green spaces and multiple public amenities.

The display plan emphasizes a cross-temporal approach, uniting ancient, modern, and contemporary media to connect generations.

The inaugural lineup organizes by media and genre—photography, architecture, cinema, American West, and by narrative formats like children’s stories, manga, and comics—highlighting a broad spectrum of narrative art.

Opening exhibitions will present over 1,200 artworks across about 100,000 square feet of galleries, in roughly 30-plus spaces.