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Spanning Renaissance masters to pop artists, contemporary greats and even a renowned Mexican director, galleries as well as institutions across the US have some dazzling exhibitions coming up in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back in 2023, and currently merely a placeholder listing on The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of a pioneering figures of the Pop Art era comes with significant expectations. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old holdings of nearly 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens borrowed works from collections around the world. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area partner museums, the Legion of Honor along with deYoung, will focus on the Floating City with two linked shows: the former museum will offer a exploration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the prospect of depicting Venice – a subject that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, producing some 37 paintings, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the 25th anniversary of his massive debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over 1m ft of film that never made it of the final cut, creating an immersive experience that doubles as a homage to film. Accounts suggest Iñárritu dug deep into the vaults to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the installation will instil some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the mixed media sculpture and installation creator a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and moving all the way up to a new collection of pieces made from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently takes her components straight from the urban landscape, creating fascinating and strange constructions that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable art spots. With major shows in the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ripe for a in-depth overview. 5 March–2 August.

Henri Matisse's *Jazz*: A Symphony of Cut Paper

Anyone familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – it’s in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom been honored with a major show on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from throughout Europe and over 200 works in all, this is poised as a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s queer art museum presents a significant and immersive video installation by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of transgender existence. Lover Love is designed as a very engaging experience, with visitors invited to play around with the four moveable screens that display the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases new work from this artist, who was compelled to leave her home country of Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing discarded objects to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. The show highlights recent pieces based on the theme of same-sex marriage. This continues her longstanding practice of using found items as a symbolic act of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are conditioned to use physical space differently, this exhibition examines how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum showcases the evocative silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, an Arkansas museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.