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Spanning old masters and pop artists, modern visionaries and even a major Latin American director, galleries and institutions throughout the United States are preparing some dazzling exhibitions coming up in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back in 2023, and currently merely a mostly empty page on a major museum's website, this major retrospective of one of the pioneering figures of the pop art movement carries significant anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its long-held holdings of close to 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, dozens borrowed works from institutions around the world. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco sister institutions, one prestigious venue and deYoung, will focus on the Floating City with two interconnected exhibitions: the former museum will offer a celebration of the city as an engine of high art for hundreds of years, and the latter will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the challenge of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – but he eventually rose to the task, creating approximately 37 paintings, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

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

Celebrating the quarter-century of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over a million feet of footage that never made it into the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that doubles as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest Iñárritu dug deep into the archives to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the installation will evoke some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the mixed media sculptor creator a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and moving through to a fresh collection of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove frequently sources her components straight from the city environment, producing fascinating and strange constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable art spots. Having had major shows at the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her three decades of creation are ready for a thorough survey. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Those familiar with the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum will display the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has rarely 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 famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring works from throughout Europe and over 200 works in all, this is poised as a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

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

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a major, large-scale video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of transgender existence. Lover Love is designed as a highly interactive experience, with audience members invited to interact with the four moveable screens that display the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will feature recent creations 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 deconstructing unconventional materials to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. The show highlights new work based on the theme of queer weddings. This continues her longstanding practice of using reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how men and women are socialized to inhabit space differently, this show investigates how body language shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and put into conversation with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 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 highlighting the work of up and coming artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, a Michigan museum will show a selection of the artist's architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.