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From old masters to contemporary icons, contemporary greats alongside a renowned Mexican film-maker, galleries as well as galleries throughout the United States have some spectacular shows coming up for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, and currently just a mostly empty page at a major museum's online schedule, this major retrospective of a pioneering figures of the Pop Art era carries significant anticipation. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old holdings of nearly 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens borrowed works from institutions around the world. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will be centering Venice through two interconnected shows: the former museum will offer a exploration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, and the latter zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the prospect of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – yet he ultimately met the challenge, producing some 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *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 massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than a million feet of film that never made it of the released movie, crafting an art installation that also serves as a love letter to film. Reportedly Iñárritu dug deep into the archives to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. Perhaps the installation will instil some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculptor artist a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and moving all the way up to a new series of works fashioned from found metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove often takes her components directly from the city environment, creating intriguing and unusual sculptures that have appeared in prestigious art spots. With significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, her three decades of creation are ripe for a thorough survey. Early Spring to Summer.

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

Anyone who know 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 combined with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute will display the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus some 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

The great painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of Renaissance Italy – yet he has rarely been honored with a large-scale exhibition on US soil. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from throughout 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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a major, large-scale film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang here explores the daily struggles of trans life. The installation is designed as a very engaging experience, with audience members invited to play around with the four moveable screens that display the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center will feature new work from this artist, who was forced to flee her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming unconventional materials to make intricate, queer-themed sculptures. This exhibition highlights recent pieces based on the theme of same-sex marriage. This continues her longstanding practice of employing reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Expanding upon the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are socialized to use physical space differently, this show examines how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of contemporary diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum showcases the haunting shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of up and coming Black artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits iconic pop 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, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.