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Spanning old masters and pop artists, contemporary greats and even a renowned Latin American director, galleries as well as galleries across the United States are preparing a series of spectacular exhibitions coming up for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back in 2023, and currently merely a mostly empty page on The Whitney’s online schedule, this major retrospective of one of the central creators of the Pop Art era comes with significant anticipation. The museum plans to utilize its long-held holdings of nearly 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens loans from institutions around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor along with another, will focus on the Floating City with two linked exhibitions: the former museum will offer a celebration of the city as a source of high art throughout the centuries, while the other will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. The artist was daunted by the challenge of depicting Venice – a subject that had captivated the most revered artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately rose to the task, creating some 37 canvases, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the quarter-century of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of film that never made it of the final cut, 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 a cherished films. It's possible the exhibit will instil some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation artist a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and moving all the way up to a fresh series of pieces made from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently takes her materials directly from the urban landscape, creating fascinating and strange constructions that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable art spots. Having had significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, her thirty years of creation are ready for a thorough survey. Early Spring to Summer.

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

Those familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he paired with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum will display the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of Renaissance Italy – but he has rarely received a major show on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring works from all across Europe and over 200 works total, this is poised as a major event. Late March through June.

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

NYC’s queer art museum will host a major, large-scale film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the everyday realities of trans life. Lover Love is designed as a highly interactive experience, with audience members invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center will feature new work from this artist, who was forced to flee her native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing discarded objects to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition highlights new work based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of using found items as a meaningful gesture of defiance. 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 genders are conditioned to use physical space differently, this exhibition examines how body language influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of contemporary diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the haunting silhouette art of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming Black artist an innovative creator. During the summer, an Arkansas museum reexamines 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 architecture paintings. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.