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From old masters to contemporary icons, modern visionaries alongside a renowned Mexican film-maker, art museums as well as institutions across the US have a series of dazzling shows on the horizon in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, and currently merely a mostly empty page on The Whitney’s online schedule, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the Pop Art era comes with some pretty heavy anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its long-held collection of nearly 500 works from Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, dozens loans from collections around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco sister institutions, one prestigious venue and deYoung, will be centering the Floating City through two linked shows: the former museum will offer a celebration of the city as an engine of high art for hundreds of years, and the latter will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the prospect of depicting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately met the challenge, producing approximately 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the quarter-century of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over 1m ft of footage that never made it of the released movie, creating an immersive experience that also serves as a homage to film. Accounts suggest Iñárritu dug deep into the archives to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. Perhaps the installation will instil 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 mixed media sculpture and installation artist a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her initial pieces and progressing all the way up to a fresh series of pieces made from found metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often takes her materials directly from the urban landscape, creating fascinating and strange constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable venues. Having had significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s thirty years of creation are ripe for a thorough overview. 5 March–2 August.

Henri Matisse's *Jazz*: A Symphony of Cut Paper

Anyone who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works were part of a late stage flowering 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 seldom been honored with a large-scale exhibition 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 works from all across Europe and more than 200 works total, this promises to be a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York queer art museum will host a major, large-scale film-based work by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. As with much of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of transgender existence. The installation promises to be a very engaging piece, with visitors encouraged to play around with the four moveable screens that display 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 forced to flee her home country of Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for transforming unconventional materials to make elaborate, queer-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases new work based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of using found items as a symbolic act of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are conditioned to use physical space differently, this exhibition examines how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art dating back to ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of modern diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the evocative silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.