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From Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, modern visionaries and even a renowned Latin American director, art museums as well as institutions throughout the US are preparing some spectacular shows coming up in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago in 2023, now merely a placeholder listing on The Whitney’s website, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the pop art movement comes with significant anticipation. The institution plans to utilize its decades-old collection of close to 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, 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 along with deYoung, will be centering the Floating City with two linked exhibitions: one location presents a celebration of the city as a source of high art for hundreds of years, while the other zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. The artist was daunted by the prospect of painting Venice – a theme that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately met the challenge, producing some 37 paintings, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

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

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of footage that never made it of the final cut, crafting an art installation that also serves as a love letter to celluloid. Accounts suggest Iñárritu dug deep into the archives to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke a sense of optimism that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the mixed media sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her initial pieces and progressing all the way up to a fresh series of works fashioned from found metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently sources her components directly from the urban landscape, producing fascinating and strange constructions that have appeared in prestigious venues. With significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of work are ripe for a thorough overview. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s in fact one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of Renaissance Italy – yet he has rarely been honored with a large-scale exhibition on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from throughout Europe and over 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 major, large-scale video installation by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with much of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the daily struggles of transgender existence. Lover Love is designed as a highly interactive experience, with audience members invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases new work 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 known for transforming discarded objects to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. The show highlights new work based on the theme of same-sex marriage. It extends her longstanding practice of using reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are conditioned to use physical space differently, this exhibition examines how body language influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies included art dating back to 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, the Seattle Art Museum showcases the evocative silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, a Michigan museum presents a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.