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Spanning Renaissance masters to pop artists, modern visionaries and even a major Latin American film-maker, galleries and galleries across the United States have some dazzling exhibitions coming up for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, now merely a mostly empty page on The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of a pioneering figures of the Pop Art era comes with significant expectations. The institution will be drawing on its long-held holdings of close to 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, dozens loans from institutions globally. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area sister institutions, the Legion of Honor along with deYoung, will be centering Venice with two linked exhibitions: the former museum presents a exploration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, and the latter zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, creating approximately 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

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

Celebrating the quarter-century of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of film that was left out of the released movie, creating an art installation that doubles as a love letter to celluloid. Accounts suggest the director delved into the archives to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. It's possible the installation will instil some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the mixed media sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her initial pieces and progressing all the way up to a fresh collection of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often takes her components straight from the urban landscape, producing fascinating and strange sculptures that have been displayed in prestigious venues. Having had significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, her thirty years of work are ripe for a in-depth survey. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

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 paired with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus some 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated titans of the Italian Renaissance – but he has rarely been honored with a large-scale exhibition on US soil. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring 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

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a major, large-scale video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation promises to be a highly interactive experience, with visitors encouraged to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center will feature new work 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 transforming unconventional materials to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. This exhibition highlights recent pieces based on the concept of same-sex marriage. This continues her ongoing project of employing reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture 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 inhabit space differently, this exhibition investigates how non-verbal communication influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of contemporary diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the evocative silhouette art of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of rising Black artist an innovative creator. During the summer, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.