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From Renaissance masters to contemporary icons, modern visionaries and even a renowned Latin American film-maker, art museums as well as galleries across the United States have a series of dazzling exhibitions coming up in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back in 2023, now just a placeholder listing at The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of one of the central creators of the pop art movement comes with significant anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its long-held collection of nearly 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, numerous loans from institutions around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area sister institutions, one prestigious venue and deYoung, will focus on the Floating City through two interconnected exhibitions: one location will offer a exploration of the city as an engine of high art for hundreds of years, while the other will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the challenge of depicting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – yet he ultimately met the challenge, creating some 37 paintings, including 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 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than 1m ft of film that was left out of the released movie, creating an art installation that also serves as a love letter 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. Perhaps the installation will instil a sense of optimism that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the mixed media sculpture and installation creator a major career survey, starting with her initial pieces and moving all the way up to a fresh collection of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove often takes her materials directly from the urban landscape, creating fascinating and strange sculptures that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable art spots. Having had significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s three decades of creation are ripe for a in-depth overview. Early Spring to Summer.

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

Anyone who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – this is in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he paired with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus around 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom been honored with a major show on US 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 in all, this is poised as a major event. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York queer art museum presents a significant and immersive film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang here explores the everyday realities of trans life. Lover Love is designed as a very engaging experience, with visitors encouraged to interact with the four moveable screens that show the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center showcases 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 transforming unconventional materials to make elaborate, queer-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases new work based on the theme of same-sex marriage. This continues her longstanding practice of employing reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of defiance. 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 analyzed how men and women are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this show examines how body language shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies included art as old as ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s explorations are displayed 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 celebrates the haunting shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming artist an innovative creator. During the summer, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.