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From Renaissance masters to pop artists, modern visionaries alongside a renowned Latin American film-maker, galleries and galleries 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 on The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of one of the pioneering figures of the pop art movement carries some pretty heavy expectations. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old holdings of nearly 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, numerous loans from collections around the world. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area sister institutions, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will focus on Venice through two linked shows: the former museum 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 enchanting city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a subject that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – yet he ultimately rose to the task, producing some 37 canvases, including the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than 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 dug deep into the vaults to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. Perhaps 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

The Guggenheim is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation creator a major career survey, beginning with her early works and moving all the way up to a new series of pieces made from scrap metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove often takes her components directly from the city environment, producing intriguing and unusual sculptures that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable art spots. Having had significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ready for a in-depth survey. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Those familiar with the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and published as a book 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 around 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom received a large-scale exhibition on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from all across Europe and over 200 works in all, this is poised as a major event. Late March through June.

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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a significant and immersive video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang here investigates the daily struggles of transgender existence. Lover Love promises to be a highly interactive experience, with audience members invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will feature new work from this artist, who was forced to flee her home country of Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming discarded objects to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. This exhibition showcases recent pieces based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of using found items as a meaningful gesture of resistance. 27 August–18 January 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 inhabit space differently, this show examines how body language shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the haunting silhouette art of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of rising 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, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a selection of the artist's architecture paintings. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.