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Spanning old masters and contemporary icons, modern visionaries and even a renowned Mexican director, galleries as well as galleries across the US have some spectacular exhibitions on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back during 2023, now merely a placeholder listing at a major museum's online schedule, this expansive survey of a pioneering figures of the pop art movement carries significant anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of nearly 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, dozens loans from collections globally. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco partner museums, one prestigious venue along with deYoung, will be centering the Floating City with 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 will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the prospect of depicting Venice – a theme that had captivated the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, creating approximately 37 paintings, including the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

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

Marking the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than 1m ft of footage that never made it of the released movie, creating an art installation that also serves as a love letter to film. Reportedly the director dug deep into the vaults to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the mixed media sculpture and installation artist a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her early works and progressing through to a new collection of pieces fashioned from found metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove often takes her components straight from the city environment, creating intriguing and unusual sculptures that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable art spots. With major shows in Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s three decades 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 a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – this is in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he paired with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus some 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated titans of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom received a large-scale exhibition on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from throughout Europe and more than 200 works in all, this is poised as a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 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 transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of transgender existence. Lover Love promises to be a very engaging piece, with visitors encouraged to interact with the four moveable screens that display 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 compelled to leave her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing unconventional materials to make intricate, queer-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases recent pieces based on the concept of same-sex marriage. This continues her longstanding practice of using 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 men and women are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this exhibition examines how body language shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies included art dating back to 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s explorations are displayed and put into conversation with the work of modern diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the haunting silhouette art of an emerging artist. 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 revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, a Michigan museum will show a selection of the artist's architectural studies. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.