🔗 Share this article

From old masters and pop artists, contemporary greats alongside a major Mexican director, galleries and institutions across the United States have a series of dazzling exhibitions on the horizon for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago during 2023, and currently merely a placeholder listing at a major museum's online schedule, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the pop art movement carries significant anticipation. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old collection of close to 500 works from Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, numerous loans from institutions around the world. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area partner museums, the Legion of Honor along with another, will be centering Venice with two interconnected 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 made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the challenge of depicting Venice – a theme that had captivated the most revered artists for centuries – yet he ultimately rose to the task, producing some 37 paintings, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

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

Marking the quarter-century of his massive debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over 1m ft of film that never made it into the final cut, creating an art installation that also serves as a love letter to celluloid. Reportedly Iñárritu delved into the archives to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. It's possible the installation will instil a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation creator a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and moving through to a new collection of pieces made from found metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often takes her materials straight from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable art spots. Having had significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, her three decades of creation are ripe for a in-depth overview. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Those 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 published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute will display the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has seldom been honored with a major show on US 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 works from all across Europe and over 200 works in all, this is poised as a major event. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a significant and immersive film-based work by Taiwanese-American 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 is designed as a highly interactive piece, with visitors encouraged to play around with the four moveable screens that display the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center will feature 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 intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition highlights recent pieces based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of employing found items as a meaningful gesture of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are conditioned to use physical space differently, this exhibition investigates how non-verbal communication shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the evocative shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of up and coming Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue displays the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.