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From Renaissance masters to contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a major Latin American film-maker, art museums and institutions throughout the United States are preparing some spectacular exhibitions on the horizon for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back during 2023, now just a mostly empty page at a major museum's website, this major retrospective of a pioneering figures of the Pop Art era comes with significant anticipation. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old collection of nearly 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, numerous loans from collections globally. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco sister institutions, one prestigious venue and deYoung, will be centering the Floating City with two interconnected exhibitions: the former museum will offer a exploration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, and the latter will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet made of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the challenge of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, producing some 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

Alejandro G Iñárritu's *Sueño Perro*: A Cinematic Resurrection

Marking the quarter-century of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than a million feet of film that never made it of the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that also serves as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly the director delved into the vaults to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. It's possible the installation will instil some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her initial pieces and moving all the way up to a new collection of pieces fashioned from scrap metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove frequently sources her components straight from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual sculptures that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable venues. Having had major shows at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of work are ready for a in-depth survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Those familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – this is in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and published as a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute will display all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated titans of the Italian Renaissance – but he has rarely been honored with a large-scale exhibition on American soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for iconic works 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 major event. Late March through June.

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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a significant and immersive film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of trans life. Lover Love is designed as a very engaging piece, with visitors encouraged to interact with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center showcases new work from this artist, who was forced to flee her native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming discarded objects to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. The show showcases recent pieces based on the concept of same-sex marriage. It extends her longstanding practice of employing found items as a symbolic act of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Expanding upon the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this show examines how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s research spanned art dating back to 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the haunting shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. In September, a Michigan museum will show a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.