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Spanning Renaissance masters to contemporary icons, modern visionaries alongside a major Latin American film-maker, galleries as well as institutions across the United States are preparing a series of dazzling exhibitions on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back in 2023, and currently merely a mostly empty page on The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of one of the central creators of the Pop Art era comes with significant anticipation. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old collection of nearly 500 works from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, numerous loans from institutions around the world. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor along with another, will focus on the Floating City through two interconnected exhibitions: one location will offer a celebration of the city as an engine of high art throughout the centuries, and the latter will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. The artist was daunted by the prospect of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately met the challenge, creating approximately 37 paintings, including the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the 25th anniversary of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than 1m ft of film that never made it of the final cut, crafting an immersive experience that also serves as a love letter to film. Reportedly the director delved into the vaults to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. Perhaps the installation 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 will give the mixed media sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her initial pieces and moving through to a fresh collection of works made from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently takes her materials directly from the urban landscape, producing intriguing and unusual sculptures that have appeared in prestigious venues. With significant exhibitions at the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s thirty years of work are ripe for a thorough overview. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone familiar with 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 cut-paper works that he paired with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum will display all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus around 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations represented 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 – yet he has rarely been honored with a major show on US soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from all across Europe and more than 200 works in all, this is poised as a major event. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York queer art museum presents a major, large-scale video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang here investigates the daily struggles of trans life. The installation promises to be a highly interactive experience, with audience members invited to play around 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 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 transforming unconventional materials to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. This exhibition showcases new work based on the concept of queer weddings. This continues her longstanding practice of employing found items as a symbolic act of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how men and women are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition investigates how non-verbal communication shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s research spanned art dating back to ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the evocative shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of rising artist an innovative creator. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a selection of the artist's architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.