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From Renaissance masters to contemporary icons, contemporary greats alongside a renowned Latin American director, galleries as well as institutions across the US have some dazzling shows on the horizon for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago in 2023, and currently merely a placeholder listing on The Whitney’s online schedule, this major retrospective of one of the pioneering figures of the pop art movement comes with significant anticipation. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old collection of nearly 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, dozens borrowed works from collections around the world. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area sister institutions, the Legion of Honor along with another, will be centering Venice with two interconnected exhibitions: the former museum will offer a exploration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, and the latter will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the prospect of depicting Venice – a subject that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately rose to the task, producing some 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

Alejandro G Iñárritu's *Sueño Perro*: A Cinematic Resurrection

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of footage that was left out of the released movie, creating an art installation that doubles as a homage to celluloid. Accounts suggest the director dug deep into the archives to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. It's possible the exhibit will instil some of the hope that runs through 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 multidisciplinary sculptor creator a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and moving all the way up to a new series of pieces made from found metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove often sources her components straight from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in prestigious venues. With major shows in the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s three decades of creation are ripe for a thorough overview. Early Spring to Summer.

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

Anyone familiar with the book *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as some 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has seldom been honored with a large-scale exhibition on American soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring works from all across Europe and over 200 works in all, this promises to be a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a significant and immersive video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang here explores the daily struggles of trans life. Lover Love promises to be a very engaging experience, with visitors encouraged to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center showcases new work from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for transforming unconventional materials to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases recent pieces based on the concept of same-sex marriage. It extends her ongoing project of using reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are socialized to inhabit space differently, this show examines how non-verbal communication influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s research spanned art dating back to 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the haunting silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.