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Spanning old masters to pop artists, contemporary greats and even a renowned Latin American director, galleries as well as institutions across the United States are preparing a series of spectacular shows coming up in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, and currently just a mostly empty page at The Whitney’s online schedule, this expansive survey of a pioneering figures of the pop art movement comes with significant anticipation. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of nearly 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, dozens borrowed works from collections around the world. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco partner museums, one prestigious venue and deYoung, will be centering Venice through two linked shows: one location presents a celebration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, and the latter will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, creating some 37 paintings, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

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

Marking the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over 1m ft of footage that never made it of the final cut, crafting an immersive experience that also serves as a love letter to celluloid. Reportedly the director delved into the vaults to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the exhibit will instil a sense of optimism that runs through Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the mixed media sculptor artist a major career survey, beginning with her early works and progressing all the way up to a new series of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently takes her materials straight from the city environment, producing fascinating and strange sculptures that have appeared in prestigious venues. Having had major shows at the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of work are ripe for a in-depth overview. 5 March–2 August.

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

Those 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 paper compositions that he paired with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus some 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of the Italian Renaissance – but he has seldom received a large-scale exhibition on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from all across Europe and more than 200 works total, this is poised as a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a significant and immersive video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of transgender existence. Lover Love promises to be a highly interactive experience, with visitors invited to play around with the four moveable screens that display the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center will feature recent creations 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 deconstructing unconventional materials to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. The show showcases new work based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of employing reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Expanding upon the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are socialized to use physical space differently, this exhibition examines how non-verbal communication influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the haunting silhouette art of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a selection of the artist's architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue displays the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.