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Spanning Renaissance masters to contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a renowned Mexican director, galleries and galleries throughout the US are preparing a series of spectacular exhibitions on the horizon in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, now just a mostly empty page at a major museum's website, this expansive survey of a pioneering figures of the pop art movement comes with some pretty heavy expectations. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old collection of nearly 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, dozens loans from collections around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area sister institutions, one prestigious venue along with deYoung, will be centering the Floating City with two interconnected exhibitions: one location presents a exploration of the city as an engine of high art for hundreds of years, and the latter will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the prospect of depicting Venice – a subject that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – but he eventually rose to the task, creating some 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the quarter-century of his massive debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than a million feet of footage that was left out into the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that doubles as a homage 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. It's possible the exhibit will instil a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the mixed media sculptor creator a major career survey, starting with her initial pieces and moving through to a new collection of pieces made from found metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often sources her materials straight from the city environment, creating 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 a Parisian institution, Bove’s thirty years of creation are ready for a in-depth overview. 5 March–2 August.

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

Those who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute will display the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom been honored with a major show 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 loans from all across Europe and over 200 works total, this promises to be a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a significant and immersive video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of transgender existence. Lover Love promises to be a highly interactive piece, with visitors invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center will feature new work from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing unconventional materials to make elaborate, queer-themed sculptures. The show highlights recent pieces based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of employing found items as a meaningful gesture of resistance. 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 studied how men and women are socialized to inhabit space differently, this show investigates how body language shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the evocative silhouette art of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, a Michigan museum will show a collection of the artist's architectural studies. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.