Lucas Museum Outshines LACMA's New Geffen Galleries in Design and Experience
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, funded by George Lucas, offers a superior artgoing experience compared to LACMA's David Geffen Galleries, which cost $724 million and faced significant setbacks. Lucas invested a billion dollars in his project, which features production pieces from Star Wars and other IP. The comparison highlights differences in curatorial approach and civic expectations between the two institutions.
LACMA's $724 million project relied on $125 million in county taxpayer funds and a $300 million credit line, while Lucas self-financed his billion-dollar venture. The Geffen Galleries were designed by Peter Zumthor, who had never tackled a project of this scale or in such intense desert light, leading to significant glare issues.
Both institutions use circular, unsequenced galleries, but LACMA's thematic approach results in a disorienting mix of eras and geographies. In contrast, Lucas's museum uses narrative groupings—such as mythology or Western stories—that allow for unexpected visual parallels, like 1800s cowboy figures displayed near Japanese manga heroes.
This comparison could reshape civic expectations for publicly funded museums, as LACMA's costly setbacks may prompt taxpayers and donors to scrutinize architectural ambition versus visitor experience. The Lucas Museum's success might also validate private, IP-driven collections as legitimate cultural institutions, potentially influencing how other cities approach museum funding and curation. This rivalry could foster healthy competition, but may also deepen divides between elite encyclopedic institutions and populist entertainment-based venues.