From old masters to pop artists, modern visionaries alongside a major Latin American film-maker, art museums as well as galleries throughout the United States have some dazzling shows coming up for 2026.
The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein
Announced all the way back during 2023, and currently just a mostly empty page on The Whitney’s website, this expansive survey of a pioneering figures of the pop art movement comes with some pretty heavy expectations. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old collection of nearly 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, numerous loans from institutions globally. Dates to be announced 2026.
Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice
Bay Area partner museums, the Legion of Honor and another, will focus on Venice through two linked shows: one location will offer a celebration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the challenge of depicting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately met the challenge, creating some 37 paintings, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.
Alejandro G Iñárritu's *Sueño Perro*: A Cinematic Resurrection
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over 1m ft of footage that was left out of the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that also serves as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest the director delved into the vaults to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.
The Sculptural World of Carol Bove
A major New York museum is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculptor creator a major career survey, starting with her early works and moving through to a new series of works made from found metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently takes her components directly from the urban landscape, producing intriguing and unusual sculptures that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable art spots. With major shows at Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, her three decades of work are ripe for a in-depth survey. 5 March–2 August.
Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color
Anyone familiar with the book *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with 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 book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus some 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.
Raphael: Sublime Poetry
Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has seldom been honored with a major show on American soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from all across Europe and over 200 works in all, this is poised as a blockbuster show. Late March through June.
Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision
A New York queer art museum will host a significant and immersive film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang here investigates the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation promises to be a highly interactive experience, with visitors invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.
Leilah Babirye
A Boston contemporary art center showcases recent creations from this artist, who was forced to flee her home country of Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for transforming unconventional materials to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition highlights new work based on the theme of same-sex marriage. It extends her longstanding practice of using found items as a symbolic act of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.
Taking Back Our Space
Expanding upon the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition investigates how body language shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as ancient sculptures. 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
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 up and coming Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, a Michigan museum will show a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.
