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Spanning Renaissance masters to contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a renowned Mexican film-maker, galleries and institutions across the US have a series of dazzling shows on the horizon for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back during 2023, and currently merely a placeholder listing at The Whitney’s website, this expansive survey of a central creators of the Pop Art era comes with significant anticipation. The institution plans to utilize its decades-old holdings of close to 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens loans from institutions globally. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area sister institutions, the Legion of Honor and another, will focus on the Floating City with two interconnected exhibitions: the former museum presents a celebration of the city as an engine of high art for hundreds of years, while the other will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the prospect of depicting Venice – a subject that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – yet he ultimately met the challenge, producing some 37 canvases, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the quarter-century of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over a million feet of film that never made it of the released movie, creating an art installation that doubles as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly the director dug deep into the vaults to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. It's possible the exhibit will evoke some of the hope 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 sculptor creator a major career survey, starting with her initial pieces and progressing all the way up to a new collection of pieces made from found metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove frequently sources her materials directly from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual sculptures that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable art spots. With significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ripe for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Those 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 bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute will display the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated titans of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has rarely been honored with a large-scale exhibition on US 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*. Featuring loans from throughout Europe and over 200 works in all, this promises to be a major event. Late March through 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 major figure in digital art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of trans life. The installation is designed as a highly interactive experience, with visitors encouraged to play around with the four moveable screens that show the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for transforming discarded objects to make elaborate, queer-themed assemblages. The show showcases new work based on the theme of queer weddings. 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

Expanding upon the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are conditioned to use physical space differently, this show investigates how non-verbal communication influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the evocative shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of rising artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a selection of the artist's architectural studies. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.