a Shift in Leadership announced for the Lucas Museum
The MAD Architects-designed Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is set to undergo a significant leadership change as Sandra Jackson-Dumont, the current Director and CEO of the museum, will step down from her role. Taking effect on April 1st, 2025, this change comes as part of a new organizational structure, which divides the responsibilities of the Director and CEO into separate positions. George Lucas, the museum’s founder, will now take on the primary responsibility for content direction, shifting the focus of the institution’s curatorial and artistic vision. Meanwhile, Jim Gianopulos, former chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures, will serve as the museum’s interim CEO.
The transition sets the stage for the next chapter in the museum’s evolution as it nears its opening, which has recently been shifted to 2026. This marks the third time the museum has delayed its opening. See designboom’s coverage of a March 2024 visit to the construction site in Los Angeles, with a tour led by the former director Sandra Jackson Dumont.
image courtesy Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
the future of the museum’s content direction
The departure of Sandra Jackson-Dumont from the CEO role marks the beginning of a new phase for the Lucas Museum, especially in terms of its content and programming. In a statement, the museum expressed its gratitude for Jackson-Dumont’s transformative leadership over the past five years, which has been instrumental in preparing the museum for its opening. Jackson-Dumont’s departure is attributed to the shift in the organizational structure, with George Lucas assuming greater control over the museum’s curatorial direction.
‘Sandra’s transformative leadership over the past five years has been essential to preparing the museum for its opening,’ the statement read. ‘Her dedication to advancing narrative art and realizing our vision has helped lay the groundwork to establish the museum as a vital cultural resource for Los Angeles and a future destination for those who will visit from around the world. Sandra has helped create an institution that will serve and inspire generations to come.’
image courtesy MAD Architects
project info:
project title: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art | @lucasmuseum
architecture: MAD architects | @madarchitects
location: Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California
images: © Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, MAD Architects
MAD Architects team: Ma Yansong (founder, principal partner), Lu Junliang (Dixon) (associate partner), Lee Flora (associate partner)
architect of record: Stantec (Michael Siegel) | @stantec
landscape architect: Studio-MLA (Mia Lehrer) | @studio_mla
construction manager: JLL (Cory Langer, Dustin Worland)
general contractor: Hathaway Dinwiddie (Rick Cridland)
structural engineer: LERA
mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire life safety: Alfa Tech
MAD Architects partners: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
competition and design team: Kin Li, Tiffany Dahlen, Daniel Weber, Jordan Kanter, Daniel Gillen, Wu Kaicong, Zhao Wei, Flora Lee, Jonathan Kontuly, Carmen Carrasco, Jacob Hu, Satoko Narishige, Zhu Yuhao, Casey Kell, Matthew Pugh, Kazushi Miyamoto, Ben Yuqiang, Hiroki Fujino, Chris Nolop, Kek Seow, Younjin Park, Brecht Van Acker, Andrea D’antrassi, Zhang Yiran, Pouya Goshayeshi, Dora Lam, Victor Tung, Steven Park Chaffer, Sean Tan, Sheenam Mujoo, Dookee Chung, Cesar D. Pena Del Rey, Valeria Pestereva, Wang Yiqi, Dmitry Seregin, Lin Yuyang, Che-hung Chien, Zhang Lu, Zeng Hao, Young Koo Kang, Shen Han
