The Art Of The Story: Why You Should Go To The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
In The Odyssey, Homer begins the epic tale with, “Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns, driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy.” For eons, humanity has placed storytelling at the epicenter of civilization. Stories teach us whom and what we value and why. As AI seems to encroach on what it means to be human, studying storytelling is more vital than ever.
If there is an art to storytelling, there is also a science behind why certain works evoke an emotional reaction. The storyteller’s greatest asset is their intentionality. In a world where everyone has a story, where can you go to study the greats and find inspiration to tell your own? The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles looks as though it has jettisoned out of the urban sprawl. At first glance, it almost resembles a Star Wars spacecraft. But you don’t have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to uncover the spark behind your next great idea. In this piece, I highlight the works and exhibits I’m most eager to explore when I have the opportunity to visit.
My Must-Sees at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
The Writing On The Wall: Cave of Altamira
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art shows the public that storytelling has existed since prehistoric times. In The History of Narrative Art: Heroes, Myths, the Sacred exhibit, visitors encounter examples of prehistoric visual expression: the paintings in the Cave of Altamira. Yet seeing the original paintings in person is much harder. Access to the UNESCO World Heritage site is tightly restricted. According to the museum, “five weekly visitors will come from the waiting list that was suspended in 2002. Prior appointments will be assigned to applicants on the waiting list” (Museo Nacional y Centro de Investigación de Altamira, n.d.).
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s high-definition photograph invites us to consider Upper Paleolithic artwork beyond its practical purpose. The painted animals invite us to consider whether art could also have existed for its own sake. In a time when survival meant actively hunting, gathering, and protecting one’s family, the Cave of Altamira reminds us that art, beauty, and story have long had a place in our world.
Reaching The Stars: The Starfighter
In 1999, the Star Wars franchise upended the movie industry by introducing the prequel trilogy. Reordering the franchise let a new generation fall in love with the story while also letting the filmmakers build new worlds with new technology. The ship looks like a blend of a 1950s-era Ford Thunderbird and the 1960s space-age idealism seen in The Jetsons. Doug Chiang, vice president and executive creative director of Lucasfilm, explained that Naboo’s watery landscape inspired him to give its ships “an aquatic feel” (as cited in Zehr, 2022).. Since its introduction in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace, the Naboo N-1 starfighter has appeared in Star Wars films, television, and games. Seeing it suspended overhead, visitors can feel the optimism of space exploration and the willingness to add additional layers to a great story.
A History Buff's Favorite History Buff: Production Art for Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones is in a league of his own. Maybe it’s Harrison Ford’s charisma and great bone structure, or Jones’s adventurous spirit paired with obscure historical knowledge. For me, Indiana Jones is my ultimate movie crush. If I were any character in the franchise, I’d be the student with “LOVE YOU” written on her eyelids, except mine would say “CALL ME,” followed by my phone number. I have no shame.
Comic artist, writer, and illustrator Jim Steranko helped establish the look of the hero who would capture my history-loving heart. According to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, George Lucas asked Steranko to interpret Indiana Jones’s appearance while developing Raiders of the Lost Ark. Working from brief notes and influences including Humphrey Bogart’s character in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and Zorro, Steranko created four preproduction paintings that helped define Jones’s signature leather jacket, felt hat, and whip (Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, n.d.). For me, his appeal goes beyond that unmistakable silhouette. His curiosity, determination, and willingness to venture into the unknown make knowledge feel like the beginning of an adventure.
Narrative art is at a crossroads. We must adapt to technological advances while preserving the ethos of storytelling. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art rises to this challenge. It embraces the potential of future storytelling and storytellers while providing the scholarship and resources to explore why narrative art matters. It embodies the word museum's origin: mouseion. According to Geoffrey D. Lewis, the term meant “seat of the Muses” and referred to a philosophical institution or a place of contemplation (Lewis, n.d.). Perhaps the Muses have traveled from Greece to the City of Angels, and maybe the next great odyssey will be inspired by Indiana Jones, prehistoric cave drawings, or intergalactic politics.
Citation
Museo Nacional y Centro de Investigación de Altamira. (n.d.-a). The discovery of Altamira. Ministerio de Cultura. https://www.cultura.gob.es/mnaltamira/en/cueva-altamira/descubrimiento.html
Museo Nacional y Centro de Investigación de Altamira. (n.d.-b). Visit to the cave of Altamira. Ministerio de Cultura. https://www.cultura.gob.es/mnaltamira/en/cueva-altamira/visita-a-la-cueva.html
Zehr, D. (2022, February 18). Ships of the galaxy: Naboo N-1 starfighter. StarWars.com. https://www.starwars.com/news/ships-of-the-galaxy-naboo-n-1-starfighter
Lewis, G. D. (n.d.). Museum. In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/museum-cultural-institution
