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From old masters to pop artists, modern visionaries and even a renowned Mexican film-maker, art museums and galleries throughout the US are preparing a series of spectacular shows coming up in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago during 2023, and currently merely a placeholder listing at a major museum's online schedule, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the pop art movement comes with some pretty heavy anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its decades-old collection of nearly 500 works from Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, dozens borrowed works from institutions globally. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area partner museums, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will focus on Venice through two linked shows: the former museum will offer a celebration of the city as a source of high art throughout the centuries, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. The artist felt intimidated 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, creating some 37 paintings, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

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

Marking the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over a million feet of footage that never made it of the final cut, creating an art installation that doubles as a homage to film. Accounts suggest the director dug deep into the archives to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. It's possible the exhibit will evoke a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the multidisciplinary sculptor artist a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her initial pieces and moving through to a new series of works made from scrap metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove often sources her components straight from the urban landscape, producing fascinating and strange sculptures that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable art spots. Having had major shows at the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s three decades of work are ready for a in-depth overview. 5 March–2 August.

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 in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he paired 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 preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus some 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a late stage flowering 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 celebrated masters of the Italian Renaissance – but he has rarely received a large-scale exhibition on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from all across Europe and more than 200 works in all, this is poised as a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a significant and immersive video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital 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 encouraged to interact 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 recognized for transforming unconventional materials to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. The show showcases new work based on the theme of same-sex marriage. It extends her ongoing project of employing reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition examines how body language influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and put into conversation with the work of modern diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the haunting shadow-based work 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 Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. And also in September, an Arizona venue displays the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.