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Spanning Renaissance masters to pop artists, contemporary greats and even a major Latin American film-maker, art museums and institutions across the United States have some spectacular exhibitions on the horizon for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago during 2023, and currently merely a mostly empty page at a major museum's website, this major retrospective of a central creators of the Pop Art era carries significant anticipation. The institution will be drawing on its long-held holdings of close to 500 works from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, numerous borrowed works from institutions around the world. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area partner museums, the Legion of Honor and another, will be centering the Floating City with two linked shows: one location presents a celebration of the city as a source of high art throughout the centuries, and the latter will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately rose to the task, producing approximately 37 canvases, including the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

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

Marking the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of footage that was left out of the final cut, crafting an art installation that doubles as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly the director delved into the vaults to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the exhibit will evoke a sense of optimism that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the mixed media sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her initial pieces and moving through to a new series of works fashioned from found metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove frequently takes her materials straight from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual sculptures that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable venues. With major shows at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, Bove’s thirty years of work are ready for a thorough overview. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s in fact one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute will display the complete set 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 prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master painter and architect 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 major show on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from throughout Europe and over 200 works total, this promises to be a major event. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a major, large-scale film-based work by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the everyday realities of transgender existence. The installation is designed as a very engaging experience, with visitors invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 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 when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for transforming discarded objects to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases new work based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of using reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Expanding upon the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are socialized to inhabit space differently, this show investigates how body language shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies included art dating back to ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of modern diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the haunting shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.