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Spanning Renaissance masters to pop artists, modern visionaries and even a renowned Mexican director, art museums as well as galleries throughout the United States have some spectacular shows coming up in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago in 2023, and currently merely a placeholder listing on a major museum's website, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the Pop Art era carries significant expectations. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of nearly 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens loans from institutions globally. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco partner museums, one prestigious venue along with another, will be centering the Floating City through two interconnected exhibitions: one location will offer a exploration of the city as an engine of high art throughout the centuries, and the latter will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. The artist was daunted by the challenge of depicting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, creating approximately 37 paintings, including the masterpiece *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*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over a million feet of footage that was left out of the final cut, creating an art installation that also serves as a love letter to film. Reportedly Iñárritu dug deep into the archives 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 hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the multidisciplinary sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her initial pieces and moving through to a fresh collection of works made from scrap metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove frequently sources her components straight from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable venues. Having had significant exhibitions in the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of work are ready for a in-depth survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Anyone familiar with 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 book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has seldom received a major show on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from throughout Europe and more than 200 works total, this is poised as a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a major, large-scale film-based work by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. As with much of her work, Cheang here investigates the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation is designed as a very engaging piece, with audience members encouraged to play around with the multiple movable screens that display the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center showcases recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming unconventional materials to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. The show highlights 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: Body Language and Power

Expanding upon the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition investigates how non-verbal communication shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies included art dating back to 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the haunting silhouette art of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, a Michigan museum will show a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.