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Spanning old masters to pop artists, modern visionaries alongside a renowned Latin American director, art museums as well as galleries throughout the US are preparing some spectacular shows on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back during 2023, now just a placeholder listing on a major museum's online schedule, this expansive survey of a pioneering figures of the pop art movement carries significant anticipation. The institution plans to utilize its long-held collection of close to 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, dozens loans from collections globally. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor along with another, will be centering the Floating City with two interconnected shows: one location will offer a celebration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the challenge of depicting Venice – a subject that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – yet he ultimately met the challenge, producing approximately 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the quarter-century of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than 1m ft of film that never made it of the final cut, crafting an art installation that also serves as a homage to celluloid. Accounts suggest Iñárritu dug deep into the vaults to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the mixed media sculptor creator a major career survey, starting with her early works and progressing through to a fresh series of pieces made from scrap metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently takes her materials straight from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in prestigious 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. Early Spring to Summer.

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

Anyone who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *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 all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing after the museum obtained 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 masters of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has seldom been honored with a large-scale exhibition on American 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 works from all across Europe and over 200 works total, this is poised as a major event. 29 March–28 June.

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

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a major, large-scale video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. As with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of trans life. Lover Love promises to be a very engaging experience, with audience members encouraged to interact with the four moveable screens that display the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will feature recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her home country of Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing discarded objects to make elaborate, queer-themed assemblages. The show showcases new work based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of using found items as a symbolic act of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to use physical space differently, this exhibition investigates how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the haunting silhouette art of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming Black artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.