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Spanning old masters and pop artists, contemporary greats alongside a renowned Latin American director, galleries as well as galleries across the US have a series of dazzling shows on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back during 2023, now just a placeholder listing on The Whitney’s online schedule, this expansive survey of a central creators of the pop art movement comes with significant anticipation. The institution plans to utilize its decades-old collection of nearly 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, dozens borrowed works from collections around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area partner museums, one prestigious venue along with another, will be centering Venice with two linked exhibitions: one location will offer a celebration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the prospect of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – yet he ultimately rose to the task, producing some 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the 25th anniversary of his massive debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over 1m ft of film that was left out into the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that doubles as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest Iñárritu dug deep into the vaults to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will instil a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and moving through to a fresh collection of pieces fashioned from scrap metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove frequently sources her materials directly from the urban landscape, producing fascinating and strange sculptures that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable venues. With significant exhibitions at the MoMA and a Parisian institution, Bove’s thirty years of work are ready for a thorough overview. 5 March–2 August.

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

Anyone who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – this is in fact 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 – the first such showing after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus some 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works were part of 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 titans of Renaissance Italy – yet he has seldom received a major show on American soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from throughout Europe and over 200 works total, this is poised as a major event. 29 March–28 June.

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

A New York queer art museum presents a major, large-scale video installation by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of transgender existence. Lover Love promises to be a very engaging experience, with visitors 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 showcases 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 recognized for transforming discarded objects to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition highlights new work based on the concept of same-sex marriage. It extends her longstanding practice of employing found items as a symbolic act of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how men and women are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition investigates how body language shapes 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 modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the haunting shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, a Michigan museum will show a selection of the artist's architectural studies. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.