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Spanning Renaissance masters and pop artists, contemporary greats alongside a major Latin American director, art museums and galleries across the United States have a series of spectacular exhibitions on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back during 2023, and currently merely a mostly empty page on a major museum's online schedule, this major retrospective of one of the central creators of the Pop Art era carries significant anticipation. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of nearly 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, numerous loans from collections globally. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor and another, will be centering Venice with two interconnected exhibitions: the former museum will offer a celebration of the city as a source of high art for hundreds of years, and the latter will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the prospect of depicting Venice – a subject that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately rose to the task, producing some 37 canvases, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the quarter-century of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than 1m ft of footage that never made it into the released movie, creating an art installation 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 installation will instil some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the mixed media sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and progressing all the way up to a new series of pieces made from found metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often sources her components directly from the city environment, creating fascinating and strange constructions that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable venues. Having had significant exhibitions at the MoMA and a Parisian institution, Bove’s three decades of creation are ready for a thorough overview. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – it’s in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom been honored with a major show 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 works from all across Europe and more than 200 works in all, this is poised as a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

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

NYC’s queer art museum presents a major, large-scale film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang here explores the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation promises to be a highly interactive piece, with visitors encouraged to interact with the four moveable screens that show the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center will feature 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 unconventional materials to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. The show showcases new work based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of using reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Expanding upon the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to use physical space differently, this show examines how body language influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the evocative silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. 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 will show a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue displays the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.