George Lucas Is Working On A San Francisco Based Comic, Illustration And Animation Museum

Director George Lucas may have largely turned over the fate of his Star Wars franchise to other hands following the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney in October, but fans still have plenty of reason to be excited by his projects. One of his latest projects since announcing he'd be using some $4.05 billion to fund education is building an illustration, comics, and animation art museum based in Presidio Park, San Francisco.The proposed Lucas Cultural Arts Museum's construction and endowment would be a gift from Lucas to the city of San Francisco, and stocked, at least initially, with his own vast personal art collection, which includes works by Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish and N.C. Wyeth. According to an interview with CBS This Morning, Lucas apparently has enough art to theoretically stock the museum for six years full years, rotating pieces every six months.

Lucas described the proposed museum as "dedication to cultural fantasy." According to the full museum proposal (pointed out by Cartoon Brew), this would be accomplished by providing young people with exhibits and programs -- including traveling ones not limited to San Francisco's main center -- equipped to teach storytelling and the means of executing ideas.

In terms of comics specifically, the museum proposal includes images of Carl Barks' 1972 oil painting "Money Bin Memories" and Frank Kelly Freas' 1960 cover to MAD: #58, presumably because they could be displayed at the potential museum.

Lucas is currently 1 of 16 different contenders for a newly vacant space in Presidio Park, but considering that the Lucas Digital Art Center is already based there, chances are strong that his proposal will be accepted.

[Via Cartoon Brew]