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From old masters to pop artists, contemporary greats and even a major Latin American director, art museums and galleries throughout the United States have a series of spectacular shows on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back during 2023, now merely a placeholder listing on a major museum's online schedule, this expansive survey of a pioneering figures of the Pop Art era carries significant expectations. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old collection of nearly 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, dozens loans from institutions globally. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area partner museums, the Legion of Honor along with another, will focus on the Floating City through two linked exhibitions: one location will offer a celebration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, while the other will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. The artist was daunted by the challenge of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually met the challenge, producing approximately 37 canvases, including 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 first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over a million feet of film that was left out into the released movie, creating an art installation that doubles as a love letter to celluloid. Accounts suggest Iñárritu dug deep into the vaults to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. It's possible the installation will evoke some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the mixed media sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her early works and progressing all the way up to a fresh collection of pieces fashioned from found metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove often takes her components directly from the city environment, creating fascinating and strange constructions that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable venues. Having had major shows in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, Bove’s thirty years of work are ready for a thorough survey. Early Spring to Summer.

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

Anyone familiar with 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 paper compositions that he paired with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as some 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of the Italian Renaissance – but he has seldom been honored with a large-scale exhibition on American soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring works from all across Europe and over 200 works total, this promises to be a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York queer art museum presents a major, large-scale film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. As with much of her work, Cheang here investigates the everyday realities of transgender existence. The installation is designed as a highly interactive experience, with visitors encouraged to play around with the four moveable screens that display the core footage. 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 home country of Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming discarded objects to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. The show showcases new work based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of employing reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are socialized to use physical space differently, this show examines how body language influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies included art dating back to 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of contemporary diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the haunting silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of rising Black artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, a Michigan museum will show a selection of the artist's architectural studies. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.