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Spanning old masters and pop artists, modern visionaries and even a renowned Latin American film-maker, art museums and galleries across the US have a series of dazzling shows coming up for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back during 2023, and currently merely a placeholder listing at The Whitney’s website, this expansive survey of one of the pioneering figures of the Pop Art era carries some pretty heavy expectations. The museum will be drawing on its decades-old collection of nearly 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, numerous loans from institutions around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor along with deYoung, will be centering the Floating City through two interconnected shows: one location will offer a celebration of the city as an engine of high art throughout the centuries, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the prospect of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually met the challenge, creating approximately 37 canvases, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the quarter-century of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over a million feet of film that was left out of the final cut, crafting an immersive experience that also serves as a love letter to celluloid. Reportedly the director dug deep into the archives to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the installation will instil some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the mixed media sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her initial pieces and moving through to a new series of works fashioned from scrap metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove often sources her materials straight from the urban landscape, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable venues. With significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s thirty years of work are ready for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 paper compositions that he paired with text and published as a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute will display the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing after 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

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of the Italian Renaissance – but he has rarely been honored with a large-scale exhibition on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from throughout Europe and over 200 works total, 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 significant and immersive video installation by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with much of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the everyday realities of transgender existence. Lover Love promises to be a very engaging piece, with visitors encouraged to interact with the multiple movable screens that show the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing discarded objects to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. The show showcases recent pieces based on the theme of same-sex marriage. This continues her longstanding practice of employing found items as a symbolic act of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are conditioned to use physical space differently, this exhibition examines how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and put into conversation with the work of contemporary diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the haunting shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of up and coming artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits 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. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.