The Most Anticipated Art Museum Openings and Expansions of 2026

Opening: The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

“Stories are mythology, and when illustrated, they help humans understand the mysteries of life,” said director George Lucas in a statement announcing the opening date of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park. Co-founded by Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the museum’s collection will be housed in a building designed by Ma Yansong of MAD, with surrounding gardens designed by Mia Lehrer of Studio-MLA. The institution’s mission frames narrative art as a universal form of meaning-making, and Hobson echoed this ethos in a statement, describing the institution as “a museum of the people’s art,” adding, “Our hope is that as people move through the galleries, they will see themselves, and their humanity, reflected back.” The permanent collection will comprise more than 40,000 works, displayed across 35 galleries totaling 100,000 square feet, and organized around themes drawn from everyday experiences, including love, family, community, work, play, childhood and adventure. The collection, which spans pop culture and fine art, includes everything from illustrations, sketches, mural painting and comic art to children’s book imagery, science fiction, cinematic artifacts and documentaries about artists and filmmakers.