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From old masters and pop artists, contemporary greats and even a renowned Latin American film-maker, art museums and galleries throughout the United States are preparing some spectacular exhibitions coming up for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back during 2023, now just a placeholder listing on The Whitney’s online schedule, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the Pop Art era comes with significant expectations. The institution plans to utilize its long-held holdings of nearly 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, numerous loans from collections around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor along with another, will be centering the Floating City with two interconnected shows: the former museum will offer a exploration of the city as an engine of high art for hundreds of years, and the latter will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. The artist was daunted by the challenge of depicting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – yet he ultimately met the challenge, producing some 37 paintings, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer 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 footage that never made it of the final cut, creating an immersive experience that doubles as a homage to celluloid. Accounts suggest the director delved into the archives to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation creator a major career survey, starting with her early works and progressing all the way up to a new collection of pieces made from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove frequently takes her materials straight from the city environment, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable art spots. With significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, Bove’s thirty years of work are ripe for a in-depth overview. 5 March–2 August.

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

Anyone familiar with the book *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 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 – the first such showing since 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. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated titans of Renaissance Italy – yet he has rarely received a major show on American soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from all across Europe and over 200 works in all, this promises to be a major event. 29 March–28 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 director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang here explores the everyday realities of transgender existence. Lover Love is designed as a highly interactive piece, 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

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 deconstructing unconventional materials to make elaborate, queer-themed sculptures. 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 German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to use physical space differently, this show examines how non-verbal communication influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies included art as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of contemporary diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the evocative shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of rising artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, a Michigan museum presents a collection of the artist's architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.