George Lucas and Mellody Hobson hosted a star-filled opening-night celebration for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles on September 19, three days before the museum opens to the public.
The private celebration brought together filmmakers, actors, musicians, artists, athletes and business figures for an early look at the new cultural institution in Exposition Park.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art focuses on visual storytelling across different forms, including illustration, comics, photography and cinematic art. The evening began with a cocktail reception accompanied by a 27-piece orchestra.
Voices of Fire, the Virginia-based vocal collective co-founded by Bishop Ezekiel Williams and Pharrell Williams, later performed with Jon Batiste. The program also included Star Wars’ “Yoda’s Theme,” “Happy” and “JOY (Unspeakable),” according to Haute Living.
Queen Latifah hosted the formal program, which featured remarks from George Lucas, Mellody Hobson, architect Ma Yansong and Lucas Museum CEO Tracey Bates.
George Lucas described his approach to art by telling guests, “Art is in the eye of the beholder,” adding that emotional impact is part of what makes something art.
The guest list extended well beyond the filmmakers and performers associated with George Lucas.
Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Christopher Nolan, Peter Jackson, Ron Howard, Guillermo del Toro, Greta Gerwig and Spike Lee were among the directors and filmmakers reported at the event.
Actors attending included Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Harrison Ford, Laura Dern, Nicolas Cage, Michael B. Jordan, Keke Palmer and Mark Hamill. Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Alicia Keys, SZA, Katy Perry, Janelle Monáe and Eva Longoria were also reported among the guests.
The celebration incorporated several performances and visual presentations that reflected the museum’s emphasis on storytelling.
Oprah Winfrey and Samuel L. Jackson narrated a rooftop drone show by Nova Sky Stories featuring imagery connected to works represented in the collection.
The Black Eyed Peas later performed during the celebration, while LA Dance Project, Jake Shimabukuro, Xavier de Maistre, Damien Escobar, Kaki King, DJ Kiss and DJ M.O.S. were also part of the entertainment lineup.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is scheduled to open to the public on September 22, 2026.
The museum’s collection is organized around visual storytelling and includes works spanning multiple periods, cultures and artistic formats.
The new institution gives George Lucas’s extensive interest in visual storytelling a permanent public setting in Los Angeles, connecting traditional forms of art with imagery created for popular culture and screen-based storytelling.
