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Spanning Renaissance masters and pop artists, modern visionaries and even a major Mexican director, art museums and institutions across the US have a series of dazzling exhibitions coming up for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back in 2023, now just a mostly empty page at The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of a central creators of the Pop Art era comes with some pretty heavy expectations. The museum plans to utilize its long-held holdings of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, dozens loans from institutions globally. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area sister institutions, the Legion of Honor and another, will be centering the Floating City through two interconnected shows: the former museum presents a exploration of the city as an engine of high art throughout the centuries, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the prospect of painting Venice – a theme that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – yet he ultimately rose to the task, creating approximately 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the 25th anniversary of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of footage that never made it into the released movie, creating an immersive experience that also serves as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly the director dug deep into the archives to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation artist a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and progressing all the way up to a new collection of pieces fashioned from found metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove frequently sources her components directly from the city environment, producing fascinating and strange sculptures that have appeared in prestigious art spots. Having had significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, Bove’s three decades of creation are ripe for a in-depth overview. 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 cut-out *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus around 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

The great painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has seldom received a large-scale exhibition on US soil. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from throughout Europe and more than 200 works in all, this promises to be a major event. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a major, large-scale video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of transgender existence. Lover Love is designed as a highly interactive piece, with audience members invited to play around 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 will feature new work from this artist, who was forced to flee her native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for transforming discarded objects to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases recent pieces based on the theme of same-sex marriage. It extends her longstanding practice of employing found items as a symbolic act of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this show investigates how non-verbal communication influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art as old as 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the haunting shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a selection of the artist's architectural studies. And also in September, an Arizona venue exhibits the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.