Spanning old masters to contemporary icons, modern visionaries and even a renowned Latin American director, art museums as well as galleries across the US are preparing a series of dazzling shows coming up for 2026.
The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein
First revealed several years ago in 2023, now merely a mostly empty page on a major museum's website, this expansive survey of a central creators of the Pop Art era comes with some pretty heavy expectations. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old holdings of nearly 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, numerous borrowed works from institutions around the world. TBD 2026.
Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice
Bay Area partner museums, one prestigious venue and another, 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, while the other zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet made of the enchanting city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, creating approximately 37 canvases, 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 quarter-century of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than 1m ft of film that was left out into the released movie, crafting an art installation that also serves as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly Iñárritu dug deep into the archives 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 hardship he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.
The Sculptural World of Carol Bove
A major New York museum is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation artist a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her early works and moving through to a new collection of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove frequently takes her materials straight from the urban landscape, producing intriguing and unusual sculptures that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable art spots. Having had significant exhibitions at the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s three decades of work are ripe for a in-depth survey. Early Spring to Summer.
Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color
Those who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 paper compositions that he paired 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 cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as some 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.
Raphael: Sublime Poetry
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 rarely received 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 loans from all across Europe and over 200 works total, this promises to be a major event. Late March through June.
Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision
A New York queer art museum presents a major, large-scale video installation by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of trans life. Lover Love promises to be a very engaging piece, with audience members encouraged to play around with the four moveable screens that display the core footage. 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 home country of Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming discarded objects to make intricate, queer-themed assemblages. This exhibition highlights recent pieces based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of employing found items as a meaningful gesture of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.
Taking Back Our Space
Building on the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how men and women are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition investigates how body language influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art as old as ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of contemporary diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.
Additional Highlights for 2026
In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the evocative silhouette art of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of up and coming Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, an Arkansas museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with 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, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.
