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Laman Ismayilova

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George Lucas' Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has opened in Los Angeles after 17 years of planning and setbacks.

The $1 billion museum opened to the public in Exposition Park. Designed by architect Ma Yansong and his firm MAD, the building has a futuristic shape that has been compared to a spaceship.

The museum covers 300,000 square feet, including 100,000 square feet of gallery space. Its 35 galleries are arranged around themes rather than traditional artistic periods or movements. Visitors can explore subjects including adventure, motherhood, community, children's illustration, manga and comics.

The collection also includes galleries devoted to artists such as Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, Frank Frazetta and Maxfield Parrish.

Although Lucas is best known for creating Star Wars, the museum is not focused only on the franchise. Its collection explores narrative art and the different ways stories are told through images and illustration.

The museum is surrounded by an 11-acre public park with seating areas and an amphitheater. It also features a large fountain called "The Rain," as well as a research and reading library, a cafe and the Skywalker Grill on the fifth floor, with views of downtown Los Angeles.

Lucas has said the museum is dedicated to "people's art." He also said he wanted to honor illustrators and artists whose work brings written stories and myths to life.

The project took years to complete. Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, first considered locations in Chicago and San Francisco before choosing Los Angeles. The museum now stands in Exposition Park on land that was previously used as parking lots.

Source: Los Angeles Times