Posted in: Batman, Comics, DC Comics, Lucasfilm, Movies | Tagged: alison bechdel, banksy, Beatrix Potter, bernie wrightson, Boris Vallejo, charles schulz, Charles White, chris ware, Diego Rivera, Ernie Barnes, frank frazetta, frank miller, frida kahlo, George Bellows, George Herriman, George Lucua, George Méliès, Gordon Parks, jack kirby, Jacob Lawrence, Jessie Willcox Smith, jim lee, jr, Judith F. Baca, julie bell, Kadir Nelson, ken kelly, los angeles, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, Maxfield Parrish, mike mignola, N.C. Wyeth, norman rockwell, R. Crumb, Robert Capa, Robert Colescott, Takashi Murakami, Thomas Hart Benton, vincent van gogh, winsor mccay
Jim Lee Goes Early To The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
Jim Lee goes early to The Lucas Museum Of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, ahead of its opening later this month
Article Summary
- Jim Lee visited the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art ahead of its September 22, 2026 opening and celebrated seeing his work displayed.
- Lee praised George and Mellody Lucas’s vision, calling the billion-dollar Lucas Museum of Narrative Art a shrine to storytelling.
- The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art spans 30-plus galleries, cinemas, archives, and a library with major comic art holdings.
- Its inaugural exhibitions mix comic art, fine art, film history, and Star Wars archives, with artists from Kirby to Kahlo.
Jim Lee attended the Artists, Friends, and Family reception at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles ahead of its opening on the 22nd of September 2026. Well, he had some of his stuff up after all. Jim Lee posted to social media, “When I started on my artistic journey 40 years ago, comic books—and the people who created them—were still largely an unknown world to, well…pretty much everybody lol. But comics were my singular passion, maybe even obsession, and I chose that path knowing full well that outside of a diehard core group of fans, very few people would ever know my name or my work, much less recognize the blood, sweat and tears that went into making it. I just assumed I’d follow in a long, long line of artists stretching back to the beginning of civilization who made their art (whether fine, high, low or anything in between) because they had to—not because they expected recognition for it. But life itself is a story and what an incredible plot twist… Through the extraordinary vision, ambition and sheer determination of George and Mellody Lucas, my work (inked by my long time collaborator—the legendary @scottwilliamsinks) now hangs inside the incredible @lucasmuseum—a billion-dollar home for the art of storytelling, housed within a building designed by Ma Yansong that is itself a breathtaking work of art. Standing there and seeing it all was surreal. And it was even more special to bump into so many artists and friends of my own, all of us seemingly sharing the same ‘Pinch me. I must be dreaming’ moment. I’ve posted up a few of my personal favorites from the museum including an unexpected shot of me from a an early 2013 documentary (Creating Superheroes—The Art and Life of Jim Lee) that was playing in one of the exhibition halls. Forgot about that childhood image By the end of the night, Carla and I realized we would need multiple trips to take in all the incredible works in the @lucasmuseum and that even our youngest children would find wonder, joy, and inspiration in this absolute shrine to the power of storytelling.” Scott Williams added, “Was such a great night and what an amazing museum! Will be back for multiple repeat visits for sure. Sorry we missed you there, but I was so focused on all the art I missed your text to meet up. Next time!”
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will also have an Opening Night celebration on the 19th of September, co-chaired by Julie Bell, Tom Cruise, Greta Gerwig, Jensen Huang, JR, Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, and Pharrell Williams. George Lucas began collecting original comic art as a college student and has amassed more than 40,000 works over the past five decades. The museum presents this as “the people’s art”, images that express shared beliefs, values, myths, and everyday human experiences. It occupies a roughly twelve-acre campus in Exposition Park in South Los Angeles, at One Lucas Plaza, near the Natural History Museum and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The five-story building was designed by Chinese architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects, and has been compared to a Federation Starship landed in California. Inside are approximately 100,000 square feet of gallery space across over thirty galleries, two cinemas, a free research library, the Skywalker Grill restaurant, a café, retail, learning/community spaces, and event areas. It cost over a billion dollars, funded entirely by George Lucas and construction began in 2018.
Exhibited artists include Norman Rockwell, Banksy, Vincent Van Gogh, George Bellows, Jacob Lawrence, Beatrix Potter, Charles White, Ernie Barnes, Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth, Jessie Willcox Smith, Frank Frazetta, Frida Kahlo, Thomas Hart Benton, Kadir Nelson, Robert Colescott, George Méliès, Boris Vallejo,Julie Bell, Mike Mignola, Bernie Wrightson, Ken Kelly, Winsor McCay, Jack Kirby, R. Crumb, Alison Bechdel, Chris Ware, George Herriman, Charles Schulz, Frank Miller, Takashi Murakami, Robert Capa, Gordon Parks, Diego Rivera, JR, Judith F. Baca‘s half-mile-long mural, The History of California and, as we can see, Jim Lee.
The complete Lucas Archives from 1971 to 2012, including props, models, concept art, costumes, and vehicles from Lucas’s films, including Star Wars and Indiana Jones, is here, though Star Wars-related content occupies only about 7% of the gallery space. The Research Library’s rare books and archives include more than 30,000 comic books, 3,000 art books donated by Steve Martin, and more than 2,900 volumes from the personal library of Joseph Campbell.
Inaugural displays feature around 1300 objects across the galleries, mixing thematic groupings with a focus on individual artists. Outdoor sculptures in the park include a mix of classical and contemporary/pop-culture works. The inaugural exhibits begin with The History of Narrative Art: Heroes • Myths • The Sacred, an introductory exhibition exploring how visual storytelling has produced mythologies that have inspired devotion, forged communities, and shaped societies. The inaugural Cinema gallery installation will present an exhibition titled Star Wars in Motion, focusing on the land vehicles seen in the first six films, from Luke’s Landspeeder in Star Wars to the first physical build of General Grievous’s Wheel Bike in Revenge of the Sith.
George Lucas said, “The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art was created to honor humanity’s stories and the artists who illustrate them. The artists in this collection didn’t just create images, they connected our modern imaginations with our ancient emotions—with common beliefs creating community. Their work spans genres, media, and time. They deserve to be in a museum.”
Mellody Hobson said, “We wanted a museum unlike any other — one that brings people from every walk of life through the same doors. That’s why this collection holds so many different kinds of stories: so that more people can walk in and, somewhere in these galleries, see themselves — and the world they know—reflected back. That kind of recognition is what we built this place to offer.”
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art CEO Tracey Bates said, “George Lucas and Mellody Hobson have an unshakeable faith in the power of visual storytelling to inspire not just individuals but entire societies, bringing people together around goals, beliefs, and values worth sharing. It’s incredibly rewarding to finally welcome the public through our doors. Every gallery, every program, every corner of this museum was built with our visitors in mind, and we can’t wait for people to experience it.”
Ma Yansong said, “I am deeply grateful to George Lucas and Mellody Hobson for giving me the opportunity to create a building that will faithfully serve the visitors and the art while being as light and free as a cloud, or a dream. Designed with emotional architecture spaces, so that it is fluid in every part, and merged like a natural feature of the landscape into Exposition Park, the building invites everyone to participate in a journey of discovery and become part of the story of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.”
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