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From Renaissance masters to pop artists, contemporary greats and even a major Latin American film-maker, art museums as well as galleries across the US have some dazzling shows coming up in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back during 2023, now merely a placeholder listing on a major museum's website, this major retrospective of one of the pioneering figures of the pop art movement carries some pretty heavy anticipation. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old holdings of nearly 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, numerous loans from institutions globally. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area sister institutions, the Legion of Honor along with deYoung, will be centering Venice with two interconnected shows: one location will offer a celebration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the challenge of depicting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – but he eventually rose to the task, creating some 37 paintings, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over a million feet of film that never made it into the final cut, creating an immersive experience that doubles as a homage to film. Accounts suggest 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 exhibit will instil some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation artist a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her early works and progressing all the way up to a new series of pieces fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently sources her components straight from the city environment, producing intriguing and unusual sculptures that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable art spots. Having had major shows in the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ripe for a thorough overview. Early Spring to Summer.

Henri Matisse's *Jazz*: A Symphony of Cut Paper

Those who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – this is in fact one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations were part of a late stage flowering 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 titans of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom been honored with a large-scale exhibition on American 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*. Featuring loans from throughout Europe and over 200 works total, this is poised as a major event. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s queer art museum presents a significant and immersive film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. As with much of her work, Cheang here investigates the daily struggles of trans life. Lover Love is designed as a highly interactive piece, with visitors encouraged to play around with the four moveable screens that show the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center will feature recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming unconventional materials to make elaborate, queer-themed sculptures. The show highlights new work based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of employing found items as a meaningful gesture of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are socialized to use physical space differently, this show investigates how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum showcases the evocative shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming Black artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. In September, a Michigan museum presents a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.