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Spanning Renaissance masters and pop artists, contemporary greats alongside a major Mexican film-maker, art museums and galleries throughout the US have some dazzling shows on the horizon for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back during 2023, now just a mostly empty page at a major museum's website, this major retrospective of a pioneering figures of the Pop Art era comes with some pretty heavy anticipation. The institution plans to utilize its long-held holdings of close to 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, numerous borrowed works from collections globally. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco partner museums, one prestigious venue and deYoung, will be centering the Floating City with two linked exhibitions: one location presents a exploration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the prospect of depicting Venice – a theme that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – but he eventually rose to the task, producing approximately 37 canvases, including the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

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

Marking the quarter-century of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than 1m ft of footage that was left out into the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that also serves as a love letter to celluloid. Accounts suggest the director dug deep into the vaults to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the installation will evoke a sense of optimism that pervades 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 multidisciplinary sculptor artist a comprehensive retrospective, starting 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 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove often sources her materials straight from the urban landscape, creating fascinating and strange constructions that have appeared in prestigious venues. With significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of work are ripe for a thorough overview. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Those familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 paper compositions that he paired with text and published as a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum will display 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. These creations were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

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 seldom been honored with a major show on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring works from all across Europe and more than 200 works in all, this promises to be a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s queer art museum will host a significant and immersive video installation by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. As with much of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of transgender existence. The installation is designed as a highly interactive piece, with audience members invited to play around with the multiple movable screens that show the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center showcases recent creations 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 deconstructing discarded objects to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. This exhibition highlights recent pieces based on the theme of same-sex marriage. This continues her ongoing project of employing found items as a meaningful gesture of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to use physical space differently, this show examines how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art dating back to 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the evocative silhouette art of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of rising artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, an Arkansas museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, a Michigan museum will show a selection of the artist's architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.