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From Renaissance masters to pop artists, modern visionaries alongside a renowned Latin American film-maker, art museums as well as galleries across the US have some spectacular shows coming up for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, now merely a placeholder listing on a major museum's website, this major retrospective of a pioneering figures of the pop art movement carries some pretty heavy expectations. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of close to 500 works by 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, the Legion of Honor and another, will be centering the Floating City through two interconnected exhibitions: one location will offer a celebration of the city as a source of high art for hundreds of years, and the latter will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. The artist was daunted by the challenge of painting Venice – a subject that had captivated the world’s most esteemed 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 groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than 1m ft of film that was left out of the final cut, crafting an art installation that doubles as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest the director delved into the archives to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. It's possible the installation will evoke a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the mixed media sculpture and installation creator a major career survey, starting with her initial pieces and moving through to a fresh series of pieces made from found metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often sources her components directly from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual sculptures that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable venues. Having had significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, Bove’s three decades of creation are ready for a thorough overview. Early Spring to Summer.

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 cut-out *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus some 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has rarely received a large-scale exhibition on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from all across Europe and over 200 works total, this promises to be a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York queer art museum 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 most of her work, Cheang here explores the everyday realities of trans life. The installation promises to be a very engaging experience, with audience members invited to play around with the four moveable screens that display the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center will feature recent creations from this artist, who was forced to flee her home country of Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming unconventional materials to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. The show showcases new work based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of using found items as a symbolic act of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are socialized to use physical space differently, this exhibition examines how body language shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and juxtaposed 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 evocative silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. In September, a Michigan museum will show a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.