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Spanning Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, contemporary greats alongside a major Latin American director, art museums as well as institutions throughout the United States have a series of spectacular exhibitions coming up for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, and currently merely a placeholder listing at The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of a central creators of the pop art movement carries some pretty heavy expectations. The museum will be drawing on its decades-old collection of close to 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, numerous borrowed works from collections globally. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area sister institutions, the Legion of Honor along with another, will be centering Venice through two interconnected shows: one location will offer a celebration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, while the other zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet made of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the prospect of depicting Venice – a subject that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – yet he ultimately rose to the task, creating approximately 37 canvases, including 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 groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over 1m ft of film that was left out of the final cut, crafting an art installation that doubles as a love letter to film. Reportedly Iñárritu dug deep into the vaults to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. Perhaps the installation will evoke a sense of optimism that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculptor creator a major career survey, beginning with her early works and progressing all the way up to a new series of works fashioned from found metal and industrial materials. 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 prestigious venues. Having had significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, her thirty years of work are ripe for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Anyone familiar with a certain publication *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 combined with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute will display the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of Renaissance Italy – yet he has seldom been honored with a large-scale exhibition on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from all across Europe and over 200 works in all, this is poised as a major event. 29 March–28 June.

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

NYC’s queer art museum will host a major, large-scale video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang here explores the daily struggles of trans life. The installation promises to be a very engaging piece, with visitors encouraged to interact with the four moveable screens that show the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston 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 discarded objects to make intricate, queer-themed sculptures. The show showcases new work based on the theme of same-sex marriage. This continues her longstanding practice of employing found items as a meaningful gesture of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are conditioned to use physical space differently, this show investigates how non-verbal communication shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s research included 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.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the evocative shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is highlighting the work of rising artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, a Michigan museum presents a collection of the artist's architectural studies. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.