For completely unfair and ridiculous reasons, the City of Los Angeles seems to think it's in the running to house the George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. San Francisco certainly hasn't made it easy on the legendary filmmaker, who originally wanted to create a large-scale museum devoted to showcasing his personal collection of paintings, photography, illustration, cinematic art and digital art near Crissy Field. When the negotiations with the Presidio got tough, Lucas looked to Chicago but struggled to find the right space for his museum in the Windy City. According to museum officials, the final site of the George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will either be in Los Angeles or back in San Francisco. LA might be the home of Hollywood, but when it comes to this particular museum, SF is where it belongs. Here's why:
1. George Lucas lives in the Bay Area, and his former companies (now owned by Disney) are still here. The filmmaker and his films are inherently connected to Northern (not Southern) California.
2. It's thanks to "the force" that Lucas is successful enough to create his own museum. While most blockbusters are produced and created in and by Hollywood, Lucas' biggest hits were made locally. Star Wars was built by Bay Area artists and LucasFilm employees, and all of those Oscars for amazing sound and design still reside at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County. Star Wars is, in a word, ours.
3. San Francisco already has the perfect location—and it's not Crissy Field. Treasure Island is ready and waiting, George.
4. The City is rapidly turning into a mecca for amazing museums. In addition to the de Young and Legion of Honor, not to mention the dozens of extraordinary museums that dot San Francisco, the brand new San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is on the cutting edge of the world's most modern, large-scale museums.
5. The Bay Area is home to innovation. Lucas should look no further (south) than Silicon Valley to appreciate that this is the planet's hub for bright ideas and forward thinking. When it comes to creating a forward-thinking, interactive and fresh take on a large museum, the Bay Area is the place to be.
6. George Lucas wants to be here anyway. We were his first choice and we will be his last. Sure, some local NIMBYs struggle with change and can make new construction a challenge—but just like the rest of us, George Lucas has left his heart in San Francisco. Something tells us that when all is said and done, he'll leave his museum here as well.
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