Kerry Brougher, director of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, on Tuesday announced the museum’s first exhibitions planned for when it opens in late 2019.
The museum’s inaugural exhibits will include a retrospective of the films of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki and an “unprecedented exploration” of Black Cinema.
The museum will also open with a long-term exhibition that explores the evolution of film from its beginnings to its “possible futures.” The working title of the exhibit is called “Where Dreams Are Made: A Journey Inside the Movies” and will occupy two floors of the museum’s Saban Building, formerly known as the May Company building. The exhibit will look at the development of the art and science of motion pictures.
The Miyazaki retrospective, the first of their temporary exhibits, is presented in collaboration with the filmmaker’s Studio Ghibli and is the first major exhibition of Miyazaki’s work presented in the United States.
“Regeneration: Black Cinema 1900-1970,” which will open in Fall 2020, is described as revealing the under-recognized history of African American filmmakers in the development of American cinema, starting from the advent of motion pictures up through the Civil Rights era.
Additional exhibitions will include a making of “The Wizard of Oz” and a history of the Academy Awards.
“We want the Academy Museum to add to the public’s understanding of the evolution of the art and science of filmmaking around the world–to increase appreciation for this great art form and encourage people to examine the role of movies in society. At the same time, we want to bring to life the most important reason of all for caring about the movies–because they’re magic. That’s why we intend to transport our visitors into a world that exists somewhere between reality and illusion. Like the experience of watching a movie, a trip to the Museum will be a kind of waking dream in which visitors feel as if they’ve slipped through the screen to see how the magic is created,” Brougher said in a statement.
“The Trustees and I are tremendously proud to see how the exhibitions of the Academy Museum are coming together. Thanks to the extraordinary creative team that Kerry has assembled, these experiences are going to be beautiful and engaging, thoughtful and surprising. The art of film, and our new Academy Museum, deserve nothing less,” NBC Universal’s Ron Meyer, Chairman of the Academy Museum’s board, said in a statement.
“It’s been 90 years since the founders of the Academy proposed creating a museum of film in Los Angeles. How thrilling to be able to deliver on that dream. The Museum’s exhibitions are as expansive and imaginative as the movies we love. With its piazza and open spaces, the Museum will be a gathering place for film lovers and will invite people from all over the world to re-experience and deepen our collective love of this art form, accessible to all,” Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said.
“The Academy Museum is the realization of a long-held Academy dream to preserve movie history and to bring it into the lives of filmmakers, scholars, young people, and the worldwide public. The great resources and dedicated work of the Margaret Herrick Library and the Academy Film Archive provide a foundation for the Museum’s extraordinary installations and changing exhibitions. This Museum, created and supported by working filmmakers, will present the story of the movies in ways beyond what a traditional historical film museum can offer,” John Bailey, President of the Academy’s Board of Governors, said in a statement.
The Academy Museum will be located on Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. It’s designed by Renzo Piano, restoring the historic Saban Building.
It will feature six floors, including exhibition spaces, the 288-seat Ted Mann Theater, an education studio, special event spaces, conservation areas, a café and store. The new spherical addition will connect to the Saban Building via glass bridges and will feature the 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater and the rooftop Dolby Family Terrace.
The Academy is currently raising $388 million to support the building, exhibitions and programs of the Academy Museum. The campaign for the Academy Museum was launched in 2012, headed by chair Bob Iger and co-chairs Annette Bening and Tom Hanks.