Apparently the force is with Chicago, which recently won out as the new site for George Lucas' museum of art and Star Wars memorabilia. The museum, which is changing its name to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, made the announcement on Tuesday.
The Star Wars creator chose Chicago over San Francisco and Los Angeles, the two other cities that were being considered as possible sites for the museum.
Lucas said in a statement released by the museum, "We are honored to be partnering with the city of Chicago and the many cultural, educational and community groups that have come forward with ideas about how the LMNA will add to their work."
The new location for the Lucas Museum is a 17-acre site between Soldier Field and McCormick Place. The building project is awaiting approval from the Chicago Plan Commission.
The museum's collection includes Star Wars and other movie memorabilia, as well as paintings by Norman Rockwell and Maxfield Parrish, among other artworks. The museum's overarching theme is the art of storytelling.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who enthusiastically supported efforts to bring the museum to Chicago, said in a statement, "George Lucas has revolutionized the art of storytelling over the last four decades and we are honored to be the recipient of this incredible legacy investment that will allow everyone to learn about and experience narrative arts."
Here's the Chicago Sun-Times' humorous take on the Mayor's triumphant press conference:
Lucas was born in Modesto, Calif. and made his career in San Francisco, so his choice of the Windy City for his museum is perhaps a surprising one.
"Choosing Chicago is the right decision for the Museum, but a difficult decision for me personally because of my strong personal and professional roots in the Bay Area," Lucas said in a statement. The museum also said that Chicago was chosen because of the quality of the site proposed by the city's task force.
The LMNA will transform the site by moving the existing parking spaces underground and replacing acres of asphalt with more parkland along the harbor.
Architectural renderings for the proposed site will be presented to the City of Chicago in early fall.
