Mellody Hobson shared emotional remarks about her husband, George Lucas, and his unwavering commitment to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art during a preview event Thursday night in Los Angeles. Hobson highlighted Lucas’s passion for the illustrators and artwork featured in the museum’s collection, noting his “unwillingness to compromise” during the two-decade-long project.
Hobson, speaking at the “friends and family” preview, explained she wasn’t involved in Lucas’s earlier work, including “Star Wars,” but witnessed his dedication firsthand. “I watched George up close,” she said. “I saw genius work, genuinely work, and it was awe inspiring. And he was fanatical at times, but the thing about a fanatical person is they’re a fan. He was a deep fan of these illustrators in this work, and he wanted them to be represented, and I became a deeper fan of his.” She became emotional as she described Lucas’s “inspiration, the unwillingness to compromise, the determination, the lack of sleep, the lack of rest, the doggedness that actually taught me so much more than I ever could have imagined.”
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, designed by Ma Yansong of MAD Architects, will house approximately 1,200 pieces from Lucas’s private collection across 30 galleries and include two restaurants. Hobson jokingly remarked, “I thought I was tough. I thought I was strong, I thought I had a will, and then I saw George, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s why you could only do six of those movies.’ Any more would have killed you.”
Hobson also expressed gratitude for the patience of the Los Angeles community throughout the museum’s development. “Thank you so much for being patient with us, the town, the community, everyone, as we were trying to get this all done,” she said. “We are amazed that we’re limping to the finish line and the joy that we get out of this is seeing how people react to it, especially children.” She acknowledged the unexpected nature of the journey, stating, “This has been a very challenging, amazing, emotional, unexpected journey that someone from Chicago who grew up the way I did never expected to have in her whole life and say, ‘Come to my museum.’”
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens to the public on September 22.
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