“Art is in the eye of the beholder,” says George Lucas, renowned filmmaker and co-founder of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. “If it is emotional to you, then it’s art... I believe it, wholeheartedly, that you get to decide what art is.”

On Saturday night, scores of artists, filmmakers, civic leaders, philanthropists, and cultural icons gathered for one purpose: to celebrate the museum’s opening and the profound role that art and storytelling play in shaping our lives. Hosted by co-founders Lucas and Mellody Hobson, with co-chairs Julie Bell, Tom Cruise, Guillermo del Toro, Greta Gerwig, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Jensen Huang, JR, Steven Spielberg, and Pharrell Williams, the opening reception marked the arrival of the new cultural landmark.

Among the attendees were Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Harrison Ford, Nicolas Cage, Christopher Nolan, Francis Ford Coppola, Emily Deschanel, Samuel L. Jackson, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, SZA, Magic Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Sofía Vergara, Gayle King, Emma Watson, Nathan Fielder, Justin Trudeau, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laura Dern, Doja Cat, Camila Cabello, Keke Palmer, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Artemis II mission astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch.

Guests mingled on Lucas Plaza, greeted by a cocktail reception and bathed in the melodies of a 27-piece orchestra featuring the acclaimed vocal collective Voices of Fire, co-founded by Bishop Ezekiel Williams and Pharrell Williams, joined by Jon Batiste on piano and an additional 75 singers.

They then wandered through more than 30 galleries throughout the museum, taking in the breadth of narrative history, which celebrates storytelling in all its iterations, from prehistoric cave paintings to modern cinema, before congregating on the fifth-floor rooftop to witness a glistening drone production by Nova Sky Stories. Oprah Winfrey and Samuel L. Jackson introduced and narrated the show, with art etched across the night sky.

Finally, the party stayed more alive than ever inside, bolstered by a surprise performance by the Black Eyed Peas, plus performances by LA Dance Project, Jake Shimabukuro, Xavier de Maistre, Damien Escobar, Kaki King, DJ Kiss, and DJ M.O.S.

“They decided to build a museum for these artists that was so monumental that they would be impossible to ignore,” said Queen Latifah, who hosted a program fit with remarks by Lucas, Hobson, Ma Yansong, and Lucas Museum CEO Tracey Bates. “Yes, because these artists need the recognition they deserve, but also because George and Mellody believe that this art is about something bigger. They believe that narrative art is how we pass down values from generation to generation.”