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Spanning Renaissance masters and pop artists, modern visionaries alongside a renowned Latin American director, art museums as well as institutions throughout the United States have a series of spectacular shows on the horizon for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago in 2023, and currently just a mostly empty page on a major museum's website, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the pop art movement comes with significant anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its decades-old collection of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, numerous loans from collections around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will focus on Venice with two interconnected shows: one location presents a celebration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the challenge of depicting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – but he eventually met the challenge, creating some 37 paintings, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the quarter-century of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than 1m ft of film that was left out into the final cut, creating an art installation that also serves as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly the director dug deep into the archives to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. It's possible the exhibit will instil a sense of optimism that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her initial pieces and moving all the way up to a new collection of pieces made from scrap metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove frequently takes her materials directly from the urban landscape, creating fascinating and strange sculptures that have been displayed in prestigious venues. Having had major shows at the MoMA and a Parisian institution, Bove’s three decades of work are ready for a thorough survey. Early Spring to Summer.

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

Anyone familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – it’s in fact one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum obtained 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

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has rarely received a major show on US soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces 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 will host a major, large-scale video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with much of her work, Cheang here investigates the everyday realities of trans life. The installation is designed as a highly interactive experience, with audience members encouraged to play around with the multiple movable screens that show the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center showcases recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing unconventional materials to make elaborate, queer-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases recent pieces based on the concept of queer weddings. This continues her ongoing project of employing reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to use physical 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 explorations are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the haunting silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. In September, a Michigan museum presents a collection of the artist's architectural studies. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.