In Support of the proposed Lucas Cultural Arts Museum

Visionary filmmaker and illustration collector, George Lucas,

Dear Presidio Trust Board Members,

I write to express my support for the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum. As the Senior Art Director of The Science Fiction Book Club, founded in the hey-day of science fiction literature, I find myself in the privileged position of working with illustrators and illustrations which seek to encapsulate the essence of a manuscript in one single image.

The Science Fiction Book Club was founded 60 years ago in 1953 to provide fans of science fiction and fantasy across the U.S. with easy access to a specially curated literary selection of the genres. In this task we’ve had a unique view of the incredible impact that illustration has made on our culture.

At times, we were fortunate to interact and collaborate with those artists and visionaries who are contemporaries of George Lucas’ collection. Any museum dedicated to the thematically appropriate exhibition of such works is a benefit to the society which will host it, because these talented illustrators of today will most certainly be the masters of tomorrow.

I often hear the question asked about what has happened to American ingenuity. I look at George Lucas and his body of work. I recognize the undeniable creative, social and cultural impact of Star Wars and the many films that Mr. Lucas has directly worked on, not to mention the multitude of those he has inspired. Sharing the Presidio with other centers of American creativity, such as Industrial Light and Magic and The Walt Disney Family Museum, it is easy to recognize the value and generosity of the proposed plan to the entire public. It would also be a destination of significance to the Presidio and the Bay area.

I heartily support and recommend that the Board considers the undeniable opportunity the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum offers, making the Presidio the ideal location for an institution which is sure to have a long and well-respected future.

Sincerely,

Matthew Kalamidas
Senior Art Director
The Science Fiction Book Club