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Spanning old masters to contemporary icons, contemporary greats alongside a major Mexican film-maker, galleries and institutions throughout the United States have a series of spectacular exhibitions coming up for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back in 2023, now just a placeholder listing at The Whitney’s online schedule, this expansive survey of a central creators of the pop art movement comes with significant expectations. The museum will be drawing on its decades-old collection of nearly 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, dozens borrowed works from collections around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will focus on Venice with two linked shows: one location 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 was daunted by the challenge of depicting Venice – a theme that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – but he eventually rose to the task, creating approximately 37 paintings, including 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 quarter-century of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than 1m ft of footage that was left out of the released movie, crafting an art installation that doubles as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest the director dug deep into the archives to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the installation will instil some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation artist a major career survey, starting with her initial pieces and moving all the way up to a new series of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently takes her materials directly from the urban landscape, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in prestigious venues. Having had major shows in Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, her three decades of creation are ready for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

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 cut-paper works that he combined with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum will display the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom received a major show on US soil. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from all across Europe and more than 200 works total, this promises to be a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

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

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a major, large-scale video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. As with much of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the everyday realities of transgender existence. Lover Love is designed as a highly interactive experience, with audience members 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 will feature new work from this artist, who was compelled to leave her home country of Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming unconventional materials to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. The show showcases recent pieces based on the theme of same-sex marriage. It extends her ongoing project of employing reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

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 examines how body language influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s research spanned art as old as 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of modern diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

In February, the Seattle Art Museum showcases the evocative shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of up and coming artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. In September, 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.