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Spanning old masters and contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a major Latin American film-maker, galleries as well as institutions throughout the US are preparing a series of dazzling shows coming up in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back in 2023, now merely a placeholder listing at The Whitney’s online schedule, this expansive survey of a central creators of the pop art movement carries some pretty heavy anticipation. The institution plans to utilize its long-held holdings of nearly 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, dozens borrowed works from collections around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will be centering Venice with two linked exhibitions: the former museum will offer a exploration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the challenge of depicting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, creating some 37 paintings, among them the renowned work *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 groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than 1m ft of footage that never made it into the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that also serves as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest the director dug deep into the archives to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculptor artist a major career survey, starting with her early works and moving through to a new series of pieces fashioned from scrap metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently takes her materials straight from the city environment, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable art spots. With significant exhibitions in the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, her three decades of creation are ripe for a thorough survey. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Those who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus around 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of Renaissance Italy – but he has rarely been honored with a major show on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from throughout Europe and more than 200 works in all, this promises to be a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a major, large-scale video installation by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the everyday realities of transgender existence. The installation promises to be a highly interactive piece, with audience members invited to play around with the four moveable screens that show the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center will feature recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing unconventional materials to make intricate, queer-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases recent pieces based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of using found items as a meaningful gesture of resistance. 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 genders are socialized to use physical space differently, this exhibition examines how body language influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art dating back to 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the evocative shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of up and coming artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, an Arkansas museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, a Michigan museum presents a selection of the artist's architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue displays the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.