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From Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, modern visionaries alongside a renowned Mexican director, art museums and galleries throughout the US are preparing a series of spectacular shows on the horizon in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago in 2023, now merely a placeholder listing at a major museum's website, this expansive survey of a central creators of the pop art movement comes with some pretty heavy expectations. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old collection of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, numerous borrowed works from institutions globally. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area partner museums, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will focus on Venice through two interconnected shows: one location presents a celebration of the city as an engine of high art for hundreds of years, and the latter will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet made of the enchanting city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a subject that had captivated the most revered artists for centuries – yet he ultimately rose to the task, creating some 37 canvases, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

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

Marking the quarter-century of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over 1m ft of footage that never made it of the final cut, creating an art installation that doubles as a love letter to film. Reportedly Iñárritu dug deep into the archives to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the mixed media sculptor artist a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and moving all the way up to a fresh series of works fashioned from scrap metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently takes her components straight from the city environment, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable art spots. Having had significant exhibitions at the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of work are ripe for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Those who know a certain publication *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 volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum exhibits the complete set 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. The cut paper works were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of Renaissance Italy – but he has rarely been honored with a major show on US soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from throughout Europe and more than 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 presents a major, large-scale video installation by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang here explores the everyday realities of trans life. Lover Love is designed as a highly interactive piece, with visitors invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that display 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 recognized for transforming discarded objects to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases new work based on the concept of queer weddings. This continues her ongoing project of employing found items as a symbolic act of resistance. 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 analyzed how genders are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this show examines how non-verbal communication influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art dating back to 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the haunting shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.