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Spanning old masters and contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a major Latin American film-maker, galleries as well as institutions throughout the United States are preparing a series of spectacular exhibitions on the horizon for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago in 2023, now just a placeholder listing at a major museum's online schedule, this major retrospective of one of the central creators of the pop art movement carries significant expectations. The institution will be drawing on its long-held holdings of close to 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, numerous borrowed works from institutions around the world. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area partner museums, one prestigious venue and another, will be centering Venice through two linked shows: one location will offer a celebration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the prospect of painting Venice – a theme that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – yet he ultimately met the challenge, creating some 37 canvases, including the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of film that never made it of the final cut, crafting an immersive experience that also serves as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest Iñárritu delved into the vaults to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the exhibit will evoke a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the mixed media sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her initial pieces and moving through to a new series of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently takes her components straight from the city environment, creating fascinating and strange constructions that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable venues. With significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, Bove’s thirty years of work are ready for a thorough overview. Early Spring to Summer.

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* – this is actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus around 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

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 Renaissance Italy – but he has rarely been honored with a large-scale exhibition on US soil. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces 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 major event. Late March through June.

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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a major, large-scale video installation 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 investigates the daily struggles of transgender existence. Lover Love promises to be a very engaging experience, with audience members invited to interact with the four moveable screens that display the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will feature recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming discarded objects to make elaborate, queer-themed sculptures. This exhibition showcases recent pieces based on the theme of same-sex marriage. This continues her ongoing project of employing found items as a symbolic act of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are socialized to use physical space differently, this exhibition investigates how body language shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s research spanned art as old as 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the evocative silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, a Michigan museum presents a selection of the artist's architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.