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Spanning Renaissance masters and pop artists, contemporary greats alongside a major Mexican director, galleries as well as galleries across the United States are preparing some dazzling shows on the horizon in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago during 2023, now merely a placeholder listing on The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of a central creators of the Pop Art era comes with significant anticipation. The institution plans to utilize its decades-old collection of close to 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, dozens loans from collections globally. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor and another, will be centering Venice with two linked shows: one location will offer a celebration of the city as a source of high art throughout the centuries, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the prospect of depicting Venice – a theme that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually met the challenge, creating approximately 37 canvases, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over 1m ft of film that was left out into the final cut, creating an art installation that also serves as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest Iñárritu delved into the archives to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will instil some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the mixed media sculptor artist a major career survey, starting with her early works and progressing all the way up to a new series of works made from scrap metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove often sources her components straight from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual sculptures that have appeared in prestigious art spots. Having had significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of work are ripe for a in-depth survey. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 paper compositions that he paired with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus some 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of Renaissance Italy – yet he has rarely been honored with a major show on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from all across Europe and more than 200 works total, this promises to be a major event. 29 March–28 June.

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

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a significant and immersive film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. As with much of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation is designed as a very engaging piece, with audience members invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. 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 when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing discarded objects to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. The show highlights recent pieces based on the theme of queer weddings. This continues her ongoing project of using reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this show investigates how body language shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art dating back to ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the evocative shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, a Michigan museum presents a collection of the artist's architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.