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Spanning Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a major Mexican director, art museums as well as galleries across the United States are preparing a series of spectacular exhibitions coming up for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago in 2023, and currently just a mostly empty page at The Whitney’s online schedule, this major retrospective of one of the pioneering figures of the Pop Art era carries significant expectations. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old collection of close to 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, dozens loans from collections globally. 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 interconnected shows: the former museum will offer a celebration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, while the other zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the challenge of depicting Venice – a theme that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually met the challenge, creating some 37 canvases, including the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over a million feet of film that was left out of the released movie, crafting an art installation that also serves as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest Iñárritu delved into the vaults to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. Perhaps the installation will evoke some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her initial pieces and progressing through to a new series of pieces fashioned from found metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove frequently takes her components straight from the city environment, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable venues. Having had major shows at Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s three decades of work are ripe for a in-depth survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Anyone who know the book *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. This spring, a Midwestern museum will display all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus some 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

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

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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a major, large-scale video installation by transmedia 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. The installation promises to be a highly interactive experience, with audience members invited to interact with the four moveable screens that display the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center will feature recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her home country of Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing discarded objects to make elaborate, queer-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases recent pieces based on the theme of queer weddings. This continues her ongoing project of using found items as a symbolic act of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Expanding upon the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this exhibition examines how body language influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art dating back to ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of modern diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the haunting silhouette art of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of rising artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, a Michigan museum will show a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. And also in September, an Arizona venue exhibits the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.