In his proposal before the Presidio Trust, George Lucas writes, "I’m a storyteller at heart, and I understand the power of a visual image to tell a story. I know how works of art can ignite children’s imaginations and even change their lives. They changed mine. Even before I could verbalize what I was feeling, I was drawn in by Norman Rockwell’s ability to tell a complete story in a single image. And so much of that imagery captured American cultural truths and aspirations. It was then that I began to learn the art of visual storytelling. As my career as a filmmaker grew, so did my love of art and passion for collecting."

George Lucas wishes to tell the story of Storytelling. He envisions a museum which places the wonders of 21st century film- making in context with the great storytellers of the past.

With a piece of charcoal and a torch for light, cavemen created images representing the center of their lives. They used pigments of yellow and red ochre to enliven the tales of their day. Later, egg yolk and minerals were mixed to create long lasting tempera When this paint was applied to wet lime plaster, dazzling colorful frescoes transformed once brown and gray surfaces into lively illustrations graphically proclaiming sophisticated ideas of creation, myth, and religion.

With the coming of oil painting, painters could tell stories without painting an entire wall. With the advent of paint in lead tubes, they could work outdoors and incorporate the wonders of natural light. They were freed to explore different artistic ideas, styles, techniques, and explore expression as never before. And on into the digital age, new methods and materials are being used to do what was done long ago, telling stories, expressing thought and feeling through visual art.

George Lucas and his good friend and kindred spirit Steven Spielberg have been greatly influenced by the work of Charles C. Leyendecker and Norman Rockwell. Of the two, Rockwell is better known, but Leyendecker was Norman Rockwell's mentor, and refined the art of telling a story in one frame.

Both Leyendecker and Rockwell created images which expressed the emotional tenor and mores of their times. In the beginning, their "illustrations," were not given the vaulted definition of "high art," but over time, they have been highly prized and now grace prestigious museum walls. Both Leyendecker and Rockwell went about their work as film directors They would cast their models, carefully design their sets, and devote themselves to refining the fine points of their script, their story.

Stephen Spielberg recalls his days as a youngster in the 1950's. When the Saturday Evening Post would arrive in the mail, he like most readers would study and treasure Rockwell's covers. He was amazed how an artist with just one frame could infuse all the elements of great storytelling: setting, characterization, plot, conflict and theme. In addition to these elements, Leyendecker and Rockwell gave great attention to composition and color theory, all to great effect.

One of the most endearing elements of Norman Rockwell's art are the faces of his characters, portraits bearing stories in and of themselves. Often, he would enlist the townspeople of Stockbridge, Massachusetts to serve as models, emphasizing the art found in real people, faces which tell real stories.

In Stockton, California, the Haggin Museum possesses a large collection of Charles Leyendecker's work, and Sacramento's Crocker Museum recently hosted an exhibit of Norman Rockwell's work, with some of the pieces from the Rockwell collection in Stockbridge.

Two key goals included in the Lucas proposal are that their museum will hold fast to the belief that art should be accessible to everyone, and that a wide range of educational tools will be employed to promote learning.

Exposure to the arts is key to developing talent and appreciation in the coming generations. As the stories of the past were passed on to us, so we must have storytellers to carry them forward. Once built, this proposed museum might well inspire the next William Shakespeare, Pablo Picasso, or Alfred Hitchcock.

We believe this exciting proposed museum will fit well in the Presidio setting and would complement the Presidio's marvelous Walt Disney Family Museum, and the nearby Legion of Honor and the de Young Museum.

The Lucas proposal states, "Fundamental to the museum’s vision is the belief that art in all its forms should be made accessible to everyone to enjoy. To that end, the museum’s educational and interpretive program will be robust, varied, and dynamic. Approximately 45,000 to 50,000 square feet of gallery space will feature icons from the museum’s collection for permanent display as well as changing installations drawn from the museum’s holdings.

The collection provides vast opportunities for refreshed exhibit themes in the permanent and special exhibit galleries that will explore the significance of visual media in contemporary life."

Regarding education, the proposal states, "A broad range of educational tools will be used to help promote learning, both within the museum setting and remotely, to foster a spirit of group and individual exploration, study, contemplation, dialogue, and discovery. The museum will represent excellence in the industry, employ best practices, and retain a deep expertise in its holdings and their interpretation, while also inviting community involvement and the sharing of perspectives for its programming."

The Presidio Trust has but one commissary site, but a collection of worthy proposals. Click here to view to the proposals. There are strong and vocal opinions being voiced in support of all of them. To voice your opinions, email the Presidio Trust (commissary@presidiotrust.gov). Their next meeting is Tuesday, April 9th.

The collection includes forty-nine paintings by twenty-two artists. The collection spans the period between 1900 and the late 1930s. Fourteen of the paintings depict Coachella Valley scenes, while others are of landscapes throughout California.

Dynamic development and change characterize American art history at the turn of the twentieth century. Impressionism was the dominant style that emerged during this time, especially suited to the dramatic, pristine landscape and shimmering light of California. Artists painting in California between 1900 and 1950 were driven by admiration of French Impressionism and their appreciation for the California landscape, climate and quality of light. 

In southern California, landscape painting was an especially popular subject, with many artists painting plein air, or out of doors, to best capture the bright, buoyant and fleeting quality of the light. Artists known for plein air painting represented in this collection include Granville Redmond, Marion Kavanagh Wachtel, William Wendt, Franz A. Bischoff, Edgar Payne, Jean Mannheim and Maurice Braun, among others.

California's landscape and light were natural subjects for artists painting in the Impressionist style either plein air or in the studio. The paintings in this collection resonate with color, texture and light, from cool coastal scenes to rugged mountains and their wooded glades down to arid desert vistas interspersed with vivid wildflowers and lush palm oases.