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From old masters to pop artists, modern visionaries alongside a major Mexican film-maker, art museums and galleries throughout the United States have some spectacular exhibitions on the horizon in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago during 2023, and currently merely a placeholder listing on a major museum's website, this major retrospective of one of the pioneering figures of the pop art movement carries significant expectations. The museum will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, numerous borrowed works from collections globally. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor and another, will be centering the Floating City with two interconnected shows: the former museum 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 theme that had captivated the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, creating approximately 37 canvases, including the renowned work *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 groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over 1m ft of footage that never made it into the released movie, creating an immersive experience that also serves as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly the director delved into the archives to create what he described as “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 despite the pain he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation artist a major career survey, beginning with her early works and moving all the way up to a new collection of works fashioned from scrap metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently sources her materials directly from the city environment, creating intriguing and unusual sculptures that have been displayed in prestigious art spots. With significant exhibitions at the MoMA and a Parisian institution, Bove’s thirty years of creation are ready for a thorough overview. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Those who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – this is actually 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 – the first such showing after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has rarely received a large-scale exhibition on American soil. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from all across Europe and more than 200 works total, this promises to be a major event. 29 March–28 June.

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

NYC’s queer art museum will host a major, large-scale video installation by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with much 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 four moveable screens that display the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will feature recent creations from this artist, who was forced to flee her home country of Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing unconventional materials to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. The show highlights recent pieces based on the concept of same-sex marriage. This continues her ongoing project of employing found items as a symbolic act of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how men and women are socialized to use physical space differently, this exhibition examines how non-verbal communication shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies included art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s explorations are displayed and put into conversation with the work of contemporary diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

In February, the Seattle Art Museum showcases the haunting silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of up and coming artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a collection of the artist's architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.