The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art announced Thursday that it will offer free admission to its South Los Angeles neighbors and host a community preview event ahead of the museum’s grand opening in September.
The museum said residents living in the 90037 ZIP code surrounding Exposition Park will be eligible for a pass, allowing holders to reserve free admission for themselves and one guest.
A dedicated allotment of tickets will be set aside for pass holders for the museum’s opening and beyond, according to museum officials. Registration for the program is expected to open in August through the museum’s website.
The museum will also host a Community Preview Day on Sept. 13, giving local residents, community partners, business owners and civic leaders an opportunity to tour the facility before it opens to the public Sept. 22.
The Lucas Museum, located in Exposition Park, was co-founded by filmmaker George Lucas and business executive Mellody Hobson to explore storytelling through visual art spanning prehistoric cave paintings to contemporary screen art.
“From the very beginning, George Lucas and Mellody Hobson envisioned a museum where everyone feels welcome and sees it as their own,” Lucas Museum CEO Tracey Bates said in a statement. “Storytelling has the power to bring people together and create a sense of community.”
Tickets for the Sept. 13 preview event will be distributed through community organizations, local government officials and registered pass holders, according to the museum.
The museum is housed in a 300,000-square-foot building designed by architect Ma Yansong. The campus also includes an 11-acre park designed by landscape architect Mia Lehrer and Studio-MLA.
The Lucas Museum has said its inaugural presentations will feature more than 1,200 artworks displayed across approximately 100,000 square feet of gallery space.
Among the opening exhibitions will be “Star Wars in Motion,” featuring props, costumes and vehicle designs from the first six films in the franchise, including Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder and the first physical build of General Grievous’ Wheel Bike.
Other galleries will explore comic and graphic storytelling through works by artists including Jack Kirby and Alison Bechdel, while additional exhibitions will highlight Japanese manga and anime, children’s book illustrations and imagery from film and popular culture.
The inaugural lineup will also include works by artists and illustrators including Thomas Hart Benton, Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth and Frank Frazetta, as well as photography by Dorothea Lange and Gordon Parks and large-scale mural works by artists including Diego Rivera.