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From Renaissance masters to pop artists, contemporary greats and even a renowned Latin American film-maker, art museums as well as institutions across the US have a series of spectacular exhibitions on the horizon for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, now just a placeholder listing on a major museum's online schedule, this major retrospective of a central creators of the Pop Art era carries some pretty heavy expectations. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old collection of close to 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, dozens borrowed works from institutions around the world. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor along with another, will focus on Venice with two linked shows: one location presents a exploration of the city as an engine of high art throughout the centuries, and the latter zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the challenge of depicting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – but he eventually met the challenge, creating some 37 paintings, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the quarter-century of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than a million feet of footage that never made it into the released movie, creating an art installation that doubles as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly the director delved into the archives to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. It's possible the installation will instil some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the mixed media sculptor creator a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and progressing through to a new series of works made from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove often takes her materials directly from the urban landscape, producing fascinating and strange constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable venues. Having had significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ready for a in-depth survey. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone who know 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 volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits the complete set 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. The cut paper works represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

The great painter and architect 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. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from throughout Europe and more than 200 works total, this is poised as a major event. Late March through June.

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

A New York queer art museum presents a major, large-scale film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. As with much of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of transgender existence. The installation is designed as a highly interactive piece, with audience members invited to play around with the multiple movable screens that show 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 when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing unconventional materials to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. The show highlights recent pieces based on the concept of same-sex marriage. It extends her ongoing project of using found items as a meaningful gesture of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition investigates how body language shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s research spanned art dating back to ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of modern diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, the Seattle Art Museum showcases the evocative shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. In September, a Michigan museum will show a collection of the artist's architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.