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Spanning Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a major Latin American director, art museums as well as galleries throughout the US have some spectacular shows coming up for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back during 2023, and currently just a placeholder listing at The Whitney’s online schedule, this major retrospective of a pioneering figures of the pop art movement comes with significant anticipation. The institution plans to utilize its long-held holdings of close to 500 works from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens borrowed works from institutions around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area partner museums, one prestigious venue along with another, will focus on Venice with two interconnected shows: the former museum presents a celebration of the city as a source of high art throughout the centuries, and the latter zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the challenge of depicting Venice – a subject that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, creating some 37 paintings, including the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

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

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over 1m ft of footage that never made it of the released movie, crafting an art installation that doubles as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly the director delved into the vaults to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will instil a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the multidisciplinary sculptor artist a major career survey, starting with her early works and progressing through to a new collection of works fashioned from found metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove often sources her components directly from the city environment, creating intriguing and unusual sculptures that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable art spots. With significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her three decades of work are ripe for a thorough overview. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – this is in fact one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and published as a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated titans of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom received a major show on US soil. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from all across Europe and more than 200 works in all, this is poised as a major event. Late March through June.

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

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a significant and immersive film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker 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 trans life. The installation promises to be a highly interactive experience, with visitors invited to play around with the multiple movable screens that display the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center will feature new work from this artist, who was compelled to leave 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, queer-themed assemblages. The show showcases new work based on the concept of same-sex marriage. It extends her ongoing project of employing found items as a symbolic act of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

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

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the haunting shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist an innovative creator. During the summer, an Arkansas museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a collection of the artist's architecture paintings. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.