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Spanning Renaissance masters to pop artists, modern visionaries alongside a renowned Mexican director, galleries and institutions throughout the United States have a series of dazzling exhibitions coming up for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back in 2023, and currently just a placeholder listing at The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of a central creators of the Pop Art era carries significant expectations. The museum plans to utilize its long-held collection of nearly 500 works from Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, numerous borrowed works from collections globally. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor along with another, will focus on the Floating City with two linked shows: one location presents a celebration of the city as an engine of high art throughout the centuries, and the latter will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the challenge of depicting Venice – a theme that had captivated the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually met the challenge, creating approximately 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

Alejandro G Iñárritu's *Sueño Perro*: A Cinematic Resurrection

Marking the 25th anniversary of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of footage that was left out of the released movie, creating an immersive experience that doubles as a love letter to celluloid. Accounts suggest Iñárritu delved into the archives to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. It's possible the exhibit will evoke some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation creator a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and progressing all the way up to a fresh collection of works fashioned from found metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove often sources her components directly from the city environment, producing intriguing and unusual sculptures that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable art spots. With major shows in the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s thirty years of creation are ready for a in-depth overview. 5 March–2 August.

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

Those familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute will display the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus some 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of the Italian Renaissance – but he has seldom received a major show on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from all across Europe and more than 200 works in all, this is poised as a major event. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a significant and immersive film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. As with much of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation promises to be a very engaging piece, with visitors invited to play around with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center showcases recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming unconventional materials to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. The show showcases recent pieces based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of using found items as a symbolic act of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are conditioned to use physical space differently, this exhibition investigates how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art as old as ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the haunting shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a selection of the artist's architectural studies. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.