Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Faces Lawsuit over Whether It Truly Is a Private Museum at All
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson and built at a reported cost of $1 billion, is facing a lawsuit questioning whether it should be treated as a “public work” rather than a private museum. The Los Angeles Times reported that the museum is the subject of four contractor lawsuits, including one by subcontractor J.E. Snyder Electric (working under Siemens Industry, Inc.), which alleges the project was labeled a “private, non-profit development” to bypass California Public Contract Code, Civil Code, and Labor Code requirements. The suit points to a 2017 agreement with the state-run California Science Center for a 99-year land lease at $30 per year as evidence of a below-market public-asset transfer that could trigger public-works rules. The museum’s attorney denied the claim, calling the institution “one of the largest private cultural gifts in American history” and stating that more than $1 billion was privately funded with “no public funds” or financing. The museum also cited public-benefit commitments during construction, including $2.1 million to address parking impacts, upgrades to a nearby soccer park, and maintenance of park space.
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This story was covered in Prize Glory, Museum Turmoil, and Royalty Revolts