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From old masters to pop artists, modern visionaries and even a major Mexican director, art museums as well as galleries across the United States are preparing a series of dazzling shows coming up for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back during 2023, and currently just a mostly empty page at a major museum's online schedule, this major retrospective of one of the pioneering figures of the pop art movement carries some pretty heavy expectations. The institution plans to utilize its long-held holdings of close to 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, numerous loans from collections globally. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area partner museums, one prestigious venue and deYoung, will be centering Venice through two interconnected shows: one location presents a exploration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually met the challenge, creating approximately 37 paintings, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

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

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than 1m ft of film that was left out into the final cut, creating an immersive experience that also serves as a homage to film. Accounts suggest Iñárritu dug deep into the vaults to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. Perhaps the installation will evoke some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the multidisciplinary sculptor creator a major career survey, starting with her early works and progressing through to a fresh collection of works made from scrap metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove often sources her components directly from the city environment, producing fascinating and strange constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable art spots. With significant exhibitions in the MoMA and a Parisian institution, Bove’s thirty years of work are ready for a in-depth survey. Early Spring to Summer.

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

Those familiar with 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 bound into a volume 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 – plus some 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has rarely been honored with a major show on American 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 loans from throughout Europe and over 200 works in all, this is poised as a major event. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a major, large-scale video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the everyday realities of trans life. The installation is designed as a highly interactive experience, with audience members invited to play around with the four moveable screens that show the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will feature recent creations from this artist, who was forced to flee her home country of Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing discarded objects to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. The show highlights new work based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of using found items as a symbolic act of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this show investigates how non-verbal communication shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art dating back to 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of modern diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the evocative shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.