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Spanning Renaissance masters to contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a renowned Latin American director, galleries as well as galleries across the United States have a series of spectacular shows on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back in 2023, now just a placeholder listing at a major museum's online schedule, this expansive survey of a central creators of the pop art movement carries significant expectations. The institution plans to utilize its long-held holdings of nearly 500 works from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens loans from institutions around the world. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco sister institutions, one prestigious venue along with another, will focus on the Floating City with two interconnected exhibitions: one location will offer a exploration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – but he eventually met the challenge, creating approximately 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *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 first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over a million feet of film that never made it of the final cut, crafting an art installation that doubles as a homage to film. Accounts suggest Iñárritu delved into the archives to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the installation will instil a sense of optimism that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the mixed media sculptor creator a major career survey, starting with her early works and progressing all the way up to a fresh collection of works fashioned from found metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove often takes her materials directly from the urban landscape, producing fascinating and strange constructions that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable venues. Having had major shows in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, Bove’s thirty years of creation are ready for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Those who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute will display all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus around 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

The great painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom been honored with a large-scale exhibition on US soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from all across Europe and more than 200 works in all, this promises to be 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 significant and immersive video installation by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang here explores the everyday realities of trans life. The installation is designed as a very engaging experience, with visitors invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that show the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will feature new work from this artist, who was forced to flee her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming unconventional materials to make intricate, queer-themed sculptures. This exhibition highlights recent pieces based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of using found items as a meaningful gesture of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Expanding upon the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to use physical space differently, this exhibition examines how non-verbal communication shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies included art dating back to 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of modern diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, the Seattle Art Museum showcases the evocative shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, an Arkansas museum revisits iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, a Michigan museum presents a collection of the artist's architectural studies. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.