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From Renaissance masters and pop artists, contemporary greats alongside a major Latin American director, art museums and institutions across the US are preparing a series of dazzling exhibitions on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back in 2023, and currently merely a placeholder listing on The Whitney’s online schedule, this major retrospective of a central creators of the Pop Art era comes with significant expectations. The museum will be drawing on its long-held holdings of nearly 500 works from Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, dozens loans from collections globally. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will focus on the Floating City with two linked shows: the former museum presents a exploration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the prospect of painting Venice – a theme that had captivated the most revered artists for centuries – but he eventually rose to the task, creating some 37 canvases, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

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

Celebrating the quarter-century of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than 1m ft of film that never made it of the released movie, creating an immersive experience that also serves as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest Iñárritu dug deep into the archives to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. Perhaps the exhibit will instil some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculptor creator a major career survey, beginning with her early works and progressing all the way up to a fresh series of works fashioned from scrap metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove often sources her components straight from the urban landscape, producing intriguing and unusual sculptures that have appeared in prestigious venues. Having had major shows in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of work are ready for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – this is in fact one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute will display all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as some 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of Renaissance Italy – yet he has seldom received a major show on US 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 all across Europe and more than 200 works total, this promises to be a major event. Late March through June.

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

A New York queer art museum will host a significant and immersive video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with much of her work, Cheang here explores the daily struggles of trans life. The installation is designed as a highly interactive experience, with audience members invited to interact with the four moveable screens that show the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center showcases new work from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming discarded objects to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases new work based on the theme of queer weddings. This continues her longstanding practice of using found items as a symbolic act of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Expanding upon the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are conditioned to use physical space differently, this show investigates how body language influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the evocative shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of up and coming Black artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, a Michigan museum will show a selection of the artist's architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.