‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas seeks to back S.F. museum

George Lucas seems to be using the force: The billionaire filmmaker is one of three finalists vying to create a new cultural facility in San Francisco.

The Lucas Cultural Arts Museum, as it would be called, would showcase Lucas’ extensive art collection, from Norman Rockwell “pencil sketches to computer-generated moving images,” the “Star Wars” creator wrote in an essay on his website.

Lucas also plans to donate $700 million to help defray the cost of the museum’s construction and upkeep, Forbes reports.

PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures by The Times

The museum, which would be set in San Francisco’s Presidio national park, would feature high-tech exhibitions on cinematic and digital arts, and for “Star Wars” fans, relics from the film franchise.

“I’m a storyteller at heart, and I understand the power of a visual image to tell a story,” Lucas wrote in a proposal to the Presidio Trust.

The other frontrunners, selected from 16 applicants, are an institute focused on sustainability proposed by the Chora Group, and a Presidio Exchange, pitched by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, that would showcase rotating exhibits and performances.

A final decision will probably come this fall.

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