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From Renaissance masters and pop artists, contemporary greats alongside a major Mexican director, art museums and galleries throughout the United States have a series of spectacular exhibitions coming up in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago in 2023, now just a mostly empty page on a major museum's website, this major retrospective of a central creators of the Pop Art era comes with some pretty heavy anticipation. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old collection of nearly 500 works from Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, numerous borrowed works from institutions globally. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor along with deYoung, will be centering the Floating City through two interconnected shows: the former museum presents a exploration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, and the latter zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – but he eventually met the challenge, creating approximately 37 canvases, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his massive debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over 1m ft of film that was left out of the final cut, crafting an art installation that doubles as a love letter to celluloid. Reportedly the director dug deep into the archives 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 some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the multidisciplinary sculptor artist a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and moving all the way up to a new collection of pieces fashioned from found metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently takes her components straight from the urban landscape, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have appeared in prestigious venues. Having had significant exhibitions in the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, her thirty years of creation are ripe for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Those who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s actually 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 exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus some 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom received a major show on US soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from all across Europe and over 200 works in all, this is poised as a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 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 transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. As with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation is designed as a highly interactive experience, with visitors encouraged to play around with the multiple movable screens that show the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her home country of Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for transforming unconventional materials to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. The show showcases recent pieces based on the concept of same-sex marriage. This continues her ongoing project of employing reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are socialized to use physical space differently, this show investigates how body language shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of contemporary diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the evocative shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, 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 collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.