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Spanning Renaissance masters to pop artists, contemporary greats alongside a major Mexican film-maker, art museums and galleries across the United States have some dazzling exhibitions coming up in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago during 2023, now just a mostly empty page at The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of a pioneering figures of the pop art movement carries significant expectations. The institution plans to utilize its long-held collection of nearly 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens loans from institutions around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor along with deYoung, will focus on Venice through two linked exhibitions: the former museum presents a celebration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the prospect of depicting Venice – a theme that had captivated the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually met the challenge, creating some 37 canvases, among them 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 debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over a million feet of film that was left out into the released movie, creating an art installation that doubles as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest the director delved into the vaults to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the installation will evoke some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the mixed media sculptor creator a major career survey, starting with her initial pieces and progressing through to a fresh series of pieces made from scrap metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove often takes her components directly from the urban landscape, producing fascinating and strange constructions that have appeared in prestigious art spots. Having had major shows at Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, her thirty years of work are ripe for a thorough overview. Early Spring to Summer.

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

Those familiar with 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 paired with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum will display the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master artist 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. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring works from all across Europe and over 200 works in all, this is poised as a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a significant and immersive film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of transgender existence. The installation promises to be a highly interactive experience, with visitors encouraged to play around with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston 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, queer-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases new work based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of using reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to use physical space differently, this show investigates how body language shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art as old as ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the haunting shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a collection of the artist's architecture paintings. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.