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From old masters to contemporary icons, contemporary greats alongside a major Latin American director, art museums as well as institutions across the United States are preparing some spectacular shows coming up in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, now merely a mostly empty page on a major museum's online schedule, this expansive survey of one of the pioneering figures of the Pop Art era comes with significant expectations. The institution plans to utilize its decades-old collection of nearly 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, numerous loans from collections around the world. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco partner museums, one prestigious venue along with another, will focus on Venice through two linked exhibitions: 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 made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately rose to the task, producing approximately 37 paintings, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

Alejandro G Iñárritu's *Sueño Perro*: A Cinematic Resurrection

Marking the quarter-century of his massive debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over a million feet of film that never made it into the released movie, creating an art installation that also serves as a love letter to celluloid. Accounts suggest 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 some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her initial pieces and progressing all the way up to a new collection of works made from scrap metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently sources her components directly from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in prestigious venues. With significant exhibitions at the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ripe for a in-depth survey. Early Spring to Summer.

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

Anyone familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 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. These creations were part of a late stage flowering 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 celebrated titans of Renaissance Italy – but he has rarely been honored with a major show on US soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from all across Europe and over 200 works total, this promises to be a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York queer art museum will host a major, large-scale video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. As with much of her work, Cheang here explores the daily struggles of trans life. Lover Love promises to be a highly interactive experience, with visitors invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will feature recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing discarded objects to make elaborate, queer-themed assemblages. The show showcases new work based on the concept of same-sex marriage. It extends her longstanding practice of using found items as a symbolic act of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized 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 juxtaposed with the work of modern 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. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of up and coming Black artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, a Michigan museum will show a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.