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Spanning Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, modern visionaries alongside a major Mexican film-maker, art museums and galleries across the United States are preparing a series of spectacular exhibitions coming up for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back in 2023, now just a mostly empty page at a major museum's website, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the pop art movement carries some pretty heavy expectations. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, numerous borrowed works from institutions around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area partner museums, one prestigious venue along with deYoung, will focus on Venice through two linked shows: one location presents a celebration of the city as a source of high art for hundreds of years, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the challenge of depicting Venice – a theme that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – yet he ultimately rose to the task, creating approximately 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 first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of footage that was left out into the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that also serves as a homage to film. Reportedly Iñárritu delved into the archives to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the mixed media sculpture and installation creator a major career survey, starting with her initial pieces and moving through to a fresh series of pieces made from found metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often takes her materials directly from the city environment, creating fascinating and strange sculptures that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable art spots. With major shows at the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s thirty years of creation are ready for a in-depth overview. 5 March–2 August.

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* – it’s in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as 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 painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom been honored with a large-scale exhibition on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from throughout Europe and more than 200 works total, this is poised as a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a major, large-scale film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of transgender existence. Lover Love is designed as a very engaging experience, with visitors invited to play around with the multiple movable screens that display the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center 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 deconstructing unconventional materials to make elaborate, queer-themed sculptures. The show highlights recent pieces based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of using reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition examines how body language influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art dating back to 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and put into conversation with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum showcases the evocative shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. In September, a Michigan museum will show a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.