🔗 Share this article

From old masters and pop artists, contemporary greats alongside a renowned Mexican director, art museums and institutions throughout the United States have a series of dazzling shows on the horizon in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back in 2023, and currently merely a placeholder listing at The Whitney’s website, this expansive survey of one of the pioneering figures of the Pop Art era comes with significant expectations. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old holdings of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, numerous loans from collections globally. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will be centering Venice with two interconnected shows: one location presents a celebration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, and the latter will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the prospect of painting Venice – a subject that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually met the challenge, creating some 37 canvases, 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 quarter-century of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over 1m ft of film that was left out into the final cut, creating an art installation that also serves as a love letter to celluloid. Reportedly the director dug deep into the vaults to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the mixed media sculpture and installation artist a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her early works and moving through to a new collection of pieces made from found metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove often sources her materials directly from the urban landscape, producing fascinating and strange sculptures that have been displayed in prestigious venues. With significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ripe for a thorough survey. Early Spring to Summer.

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

Those who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – this is in fact one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, 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 around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of the Italian Renaissance – but he has rarely received a major show on American soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from all across Europe and over 200 works in all, this promises to be a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

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

A New York queer art museum will host a significant and immersive film-based work by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the daily struggles of trans life. The installation promises to be a highly interactive piece, with visitors encouraged to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will feature new work from this artist, who was compelled to leave her home country of Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing unconventional materials to make elaborate, queer-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases recent pieces based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of employing reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Expanding upon the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how men and women are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this exhibition examines how body language shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art dating back to 2000 BC. In this presentation, 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 celebrates the evocative shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is highlighting the work of rising artist an innovative creator. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. And also in September, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.