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Spanning Renaissance masters and pop artists, modern visionaries alongside a major Latin American film-maker, galleries and galleries across the United States have some dazzling shows coming up in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back in 2023, now just a placeholder listing at a major museum's online schedule, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the pop art movement carries significant anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its long-held holdings of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, numerous borrowed works from collections globally. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area sister institutions, one prestigious venue along with another, will focus on the Floating City with two interconnected shows: one location presents a exploration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the enchanting city of canals. The artist was daunted by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – but he eventually met the challenge, creating some 37 paintings, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

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

Marking the 25th anniversary of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over 1m ft of footage that never made it of the released movie, crafting an art installation that also serves as a love letter to film. Reportedly Iñárritu dug deep into the archives 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 pain he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the mixed media sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her early works and moving all the way up to a new collection of works fashioned from scrap metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove frequently takes her components directly from the urban landscape, creating fascinating and strange constructions that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable venues. With significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, Bove’s thirty years of creation are ripe for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Those who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and published as a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of the Italian Renaissance – but he has rarely been honored with a large-scale exhibition on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for masterpieces 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. 29 March–28 June.

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

NYC’s queer art museum presents a significant and immersive video installation by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice 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 invited to play around with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. 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 deconstructing discarded objects to make intricate, queer-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases new work based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of using reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are socialized to inhabit space differently, this show examines how non-verbal communication shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s research spanned art dating back to ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the haunting silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a selection of the artist's architectural studies. And also in September, an Arizona venue displays the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.