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Spanning Renaissance masters to contemporary icons, modern visionaries alongside a major Mexican film-maker, art museums and institutions throughout the United States are preparing a series of spectacular shows coming up in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back during 2023, and currently just a mostly empty page at a major museum's online schedule, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the Pop Art era carries some pretty heavy expectations. The museum plans to utilize its long-held collection of close to 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, dozens loans from institutions around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor along with deYoung, will be centering Venice with two linked exhibitions: one location will offer a celebration of the city as an engine of high art for hundreds of years, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the prospect of depicting Venice – a theme that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately met the challenge, producing some 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than 1m ft of footage that never made it into the released movie, crafting an art installation that also serves as a love letter to celluloid. Reportedly the director dug deep into the archives to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the exhibit will instil some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the mixed media sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and moving through to a new series of works fashioned from scrap metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often sources her materials straight from the city environment, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable venues. Having had significant exhibitions at the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s three decades of creation are ripe for a thorough overview. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Those who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize 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 book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute will display all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus around 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of Renaissance Italy – yet he has seldom been honored with a large-scale exhibition on American soil. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from all across Europe and more than 200 works in all, this is poised as a major event. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a significant and immersive 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 in this piece investigates the daily struggles of transgender existence. Lover Love promises to be a highly interactive piece, with audience members encouraged to play around with the multiple movable screens that display the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston 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 known for deconstructing discarded objects to make intricate, queer-themed assemblages. This exhibition highlights recent pieces based on the theme of same-sex marriage. It extends her ongoing project of using found items as a meaningful gesture of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition investigates how non-verbal communication shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s research spanned art dating back to 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and put into conversation with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the evocative silhouette art of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, an Arkansas museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, a Michigan museum will show a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.