From Renaissance masters and pop artists, modern visionaries and even a major Mexican director, galleries and institutions across the US have a series of dazzling exhibitions coming up in 2026.
The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein
Announced several years ago in 2023, now just a placeholder listing on a major museum's website, this major retrospective of a central creators of the pop art movement comes with significant anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its decades-old collection of nearly 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, dozens loans from collections around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.
Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice
Bay Area partner museums, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will focus on the Floating City through two linked exhibitions: one location presents a celebration of the city as an engine of high art throughout the centuries, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the enchanting city of canals. The artist was daunted by the prospect of depicting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – yet he ultimately met the challenge, producing approximately 37 canvases, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.
Alejandro G Iñárritu's *Sueño Perro*: A Cinematic Resurrection
Marking the 25th anniversary of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over a million feet of footage that never made it into the final cut, crafting an art installation that also serves as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly Iñárritu 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 some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.
Carol Bove
The Guggenheim is dedicating the mixed media sculpture and installation artist a major career survey, beginning with her early works and moving through to a new series of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often takes her materials straight from the city environment, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in prestigious venues. With significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years 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 papercut *Icarus* – this is in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he paired with text and published as a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing since the museum acquired 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
Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated titans of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom 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 works from all across Europe and over 200 works in all, this promises to be a major event. 29 March–28 June.
Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love
A New York queer art museum presents a significant and immersive film-based work by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang here investigates the everyday realities of trans life. Lover Love is designed as a very engaging experience, with visitors invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.
Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance
A Boston contemporary art center will feature recent creations 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 recent pieces based on the concept of queer weddings. This continues her ongoing project of using reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.
Taking Back Our Space
Building on the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how men and women are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this show examines how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s explorations are displayed and put into conversation with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.
Additional Highlights for 2026
Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the evocative shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, a Michigan museum presents a selection of the artist's architecture paintings. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.
