🔗 Share this article

Spanning Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, modern visionaries alongside a major Latin American director, art museums and galleries across the United States have some spectacular exhibitions on the horizon for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago in 2023, now merely a mostly empty page on The Whitney’s website, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the pop art movement comes with significant anticipation. The institution plans to utilize its long-held collection of close to 500 works from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens loans from collections around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor along with deYoung, will focus on the Floating City with two linked shows: one location presents a exploration of the city as an engine of high art for hundreds of years, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the prospect of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – but he eventually met the challenge, creating approximately 37 paintings, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

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 released movie, crafting an art installation that also serves as a love letter to film. Reportedly the director dug deep into the archives to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the mixed media sculptor artist a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her initial pieces and moving all the way up to a fresh series of works fashioned from found metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove often takes her materials straight from the urban landscape, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in prestigious art spots. With major shows in the MoMA and a Parisian institution, Bove’s thirty years of creation are ripe for a in-depth survey. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum will display the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of the Italian Renaissance – but he has rarely received a large-scale exhibition on US soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from all across Europe and more than 200 works total, this promises to be a major event. Late March through June.

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

A New York queer art museum presents a major, large-scale film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with much of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of transgender existence. Lover Love promises to be a very engaging piece, with visitors invited to play around with the four moveable screens that show the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases recent creations 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 elaborate, queer-themed assemblages. The show showcases recent pieces based on the theme of same-sex marriage. It extends her ongoing project of employing found items as a meaningful gesture of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are socialized to use physical space differently, this show investigates how body language shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art as old as ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum showcases the evocative shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of up and coming artist an innovative creator. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. In September, a Michigan museum will show a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.