🔗 Share this article

From Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a major Mexican film-maker, art museums as well as galleries throughout the US have some dazzling shows on the horizon in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, and currently merely a mostly empty page on a major museum's website, this major retrospective of a central creators of the pop art movement comes with some pretty heavy expectations. The institution plans to utilize its decades-old holdings of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, dozens borrowed works from collections globally. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor and another, will focus on the Floating City with two interconnected shows: the former museum will offer a exploration of the city as a source of high art throughout the centuries, and the latter will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the challenge of depicting Venice – a theme that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately met the challenge, creating approximately 37 paintings, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

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

Marking the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over a million feet of film that was left out of the final cut, creating an art installation that also serves as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly the director delved into the archives to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will instil some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the mixed media sculpture and installation creator a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and moving through to a new series of pieces fashioned from found metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove often takes her materials directly from the city environment, producing fascinating and strange constructions that have appeared in prestigious venues. Having had significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, Bove’s thirty years of work are ripe for a in-depth survey. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone who know 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 exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus some 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of Renaissance Italy – yet he has rarely been honored with a large-scale exhibition on American soil. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from throughout Europe and more than 200 works in all, this is poised as a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

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

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a major, large-scale film-based work by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of trans life. The installation promises to be a highly interactive experience, with audience members encouraged to interact with the four moveable screens that display the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases recent creations from this artist, who was forced to flee 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 sculptures. This exhibition highlights new work based on the concept of queer weddings. This continues her ongoing project of using found items as a symbolic act of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this show investigates how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s research included art dating back to 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s explorations are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the evocative silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of up and coming artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, a Michigan museum presents a collection of the artist's architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.