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From old masters to pop artists, modern visionaries and even a major Mexican film-maker, art museums as well as institutions across the United States have some dazzling exhibitions on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, now merely a placeholder listing at The Whitney’s online schedule, this expansive survey of a central creators of the pop art movement comes with significant anticipation. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old holdings of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, dozens loans from collections around the world. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco partner museums, one prestigious venue and another, will be centering Venice with two linked shows: one location presents a celebration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, and the latter will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the prospect of depicting Venice – a subject that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – but he eventually met the challenge, producing some 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his massive debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over a million feet of film that was left out into the final cut, crafting an art installation that also serves as a love letter to celluloid. Accounts suggest Iñárritu dug deep into the archives to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the installation will evoke some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the mixed media sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and moving all the way up to a fresh collection of pieces fashioned from found metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove frequently takes her materials directly from the urban landscape, creating fascinating and strange sculptures that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable art spots. With significant exhibitions at the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ready for a thorough survey. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone familiar with the book *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 volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated titans of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has rarely been honored with a major show on American soil. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from all across Europe and more than 200 works in all, 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 presents a major, large-scale video installation by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of trans life. The installation promises to be a very engaging piece, with audience members encouraged to play around with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston 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 recognized for transforming discarded objects to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition highlights new work based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of using reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how men and women are conditioned to use physical space differently, this exhibition investigates how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s research included art dating back to 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the evocative silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of rising artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a selection of the artist's architectural studies. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.