LUCAS MUSEUM OF NARRATIVE ART

Co-founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson and led by director and CEO Sandra Jackson-Dumont, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will feature expansive galleries, two state-of-the-art theaters, and dedicated spaces for learning and engagement, dining, retail, and events in a 300,000-square-foot building in Exposition Park. Planned opening is 2025.

Lord supported the Lucas Museum leadership team on several fronts in the years prior to opening. Initially we got hired to develop a robust financial model and business plan that will help the founders determine the sustainable level of operation, expenses and revenue of the museum. Over a period of approximately nine months, we engaged with museum leadership, staff and other stakeholders to build a tailored and detailed financial model. The process was highly iterative, and included several operating scenarios, leading to different endowment fund targets, attendance levels, and diversified revenue streams. 

Following this initial engagement, Lord continued to work with the Lucas Museum team on strategic and action planning through 2023. The strategic plan, built on a foundation of discovery, benchmarking and goal-setting, prepares the Lucas to open its doors to the public for the first time. The planning process engaged the Museum’s staff and leadership over the course of twelve months. Through workshops, focus groups, interviews and in-depth conversations, Lord heard from those who are central to the Lucas Museum story. The team also conducted extensive original research to provide context for the Lucas, surveying the current landscape for art museums and providing detailed benchmarks. We developed Mission, Vision and Values statements which emerged from the discussions of the planning process. Articulation of Strategic Priorities to help understand the Museum’s impact in South Los Angeles and beyond was a core element of planning.