Beginning this fall, people across the nation will have the opportunity to view one of the most visited Smithsonian exhibitions of all time. "Star Wars: The Magic of Myth" will begin a national tour at the San Diego Museum of Art on September 25, 1999, and will be on view in San Diego through January 2, 2000.

The exhibition showcases original work, props, models, costumes, and characters used to create the original Star Wars trilogy- Star Wars: A New Hope,The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. For the national tour, artifacts-including a costume and drawings-have been added from Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, the newest Star Wars film released in May. "The Magic of Myth" connects the films to elements of classical mythology and world culture.

"The Magic of Myth" was first shown at the National Air and Space Museum from October 1999 through January 1999. The popularity of the exhibition led the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) to collaborate with Lucasfilm and bring the exhibition to some of the nation's top museums. All artifacts in the exhibitions are on loan from the archives of Lucasfilm Ltd.

In addition to the San Diego Museum of Art, "The Magic of Myth" is scheduled to travel to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, The Field Museum (Chicago), The Museum of Fine Arts (Houston), The Toledo Museum of Art, and Brooklyn Museum of Art. (See itinerary.)

Original artworks in the exhibition include concept drawings and paintings as well as storyboards with production notes. These works highlight changes in the Star Wars personalities and places as they evolved from early ideas to their final realization on the screen. Gouaches, pencil on paper, ink on paper and oils are featured.

Upon entering the gallery, visitors will see the 11-foot production model of the Imperial Star Destroyer and the white gown worn by Princess Leia in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) as well as the droids C-3PO and R2D2, Chewbacca the Wookiee, a Stormtrooper, a Jawa, and a Tusken Raider. This section also features costumes worn by Han Solo and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Artifacts from The Empire Strikes Back (1980) include the Jedi Master Yoda, and costumes such as Luke Skywalker's ice planet Hoth gear . This section also includes an Imperial AT-AT Walker and a Rebel Snowspeeder - examples of the props and production models used in the making of the film - as well as the Wampa Ice Creature costume developed for the Special Edition The Empire Strikes Back (1997).

Artifacts from Return of the Jedi (1983) reflect the variety of characters and creatures in this film, both new and familiar. This section features Jabba the Hutt, bounty hunter Boba Fett, skiff guard, Weequay, Salacious B. Crumb and Han Solo frozen in carbonite. Costumes include the slave girl costume worn by Princess Leia as well as her Boushh disguise, and Lando Calrissian's skiff guard disguise.

Ewoks, Admiral Ackbar, an Imperial Royal Guard and Jabba's palace dancers further illustrate the variety of creatures that populate the third film. The exhibition also features Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker's Jedi costumeeach with their lightsaber weapons, facing oversized photomurals of the Emperor Palpatine's throne room and the Death Star.

The exhibition ends with Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (1999). Artifacts featured focus on Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader, and include Anakin's slave costume and a model of his podracer. Also featured are concept artwork for Tatooine and the Mos Espa Pod Race Arena.

Descriptive Plaques reveal classical mythology themes and motifs that are woven throughout the trilogy. In the companion book to Star Wars: The Magic of Myth (Bantam, 1997), author and exhibition curator Mary Henderson carries these comparisons to even greater levels and provides compelling illustrations that demonstrate the technical and philosophical influences of mythology in the Star Wars trilogy. Swords, sorcery and chivalry combine with space flight, laser weapons, and droids.

A 30-minute documentary examines the impact of Star Wars on world culture on the late 20^th century. The documentary includes interviews with George Lucas, actors Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill as well as sound effects director Ben Burtt, composer John Williams and others.

The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) extends the Smithsonian collections research, and exhibitions across the nation and to many foreign countries. Since 1952, SITES has organized and circulated exhibitions of all shapes and sizes on the arts, sciences, and humanities. Descriptions and itineraries for SITES exhibitions can be fo und at www.si.edu/sites. Also please refer to the starwars.com's Smithsonian section for more information on the exhibit that inspired the SITES tour. Star Wars: Magic of Myth Scheduled Exhibition Tour*

San Diego Museum of Art
September 25, 1999 through January 2, 2000

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
February 27, 2000 through June 4, 2000

The Field Museum, Chicago
July 15, 2000 through January 2, 2001

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
March 11, 2001 through June 10, 2000

The Toledo Museum of Art
July 2001 through January 2002

Brooklyn Museum of Art
February 2002 though June 2002 *As of June 1999. All Dates are tentative and subject to change.