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From old masters to pop artists, modern visionaries alongside a major Mexican director, art museums and institutions throughout the United States are preparing a series of spectacular shows on the horizon for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back in 2023, now just a mostly empty page at a major museum's online schedule, this expansive survey of a central creators of the pop art movement comes with significant anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, dozens borrowed works from collections around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor and another, will be centering the Floating City through two interconnected shows: the former museum will offer a celebration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the challenge of depicting Venice – a theme that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, creating approximately 37 paintings, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

Alejandro G Iñárritu's *Sueño Perro*: A Cinematic Resurrection

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his massive debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than 1m ft of film that never made it into the released movie, creating an art installation that doubles as a homage to film. Reportedly Iñárritu dug deep into the archives to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the exhibit will evoke a sense of optimism that runs through Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the mixed media sculpture and installation artist a major career survey, starting with her early works and moving through to a new series of works made from scrap metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove often sources her materials directly from the city environment, creating intriguing and unusual sculptures that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable venues. With significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, Bove’s three decades of work are ready for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Anyone who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s in fact 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 the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus some 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great 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 rarely received a large-scale exhibition on American soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for masterpieces 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. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s queer art museum will host a major, large-scale video installation by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of trans life. Lover Love promises to be a highly interactive piece, with visitors invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases new work from this artist, who was forced to flee her home country of Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for transforming unconventional materials to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. This exhibition showcases new work based on the theme of same-sex marriage. It extends her longstanding practice of employing reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this exhibition investigates how body language shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of modern diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the evocative silhouette art of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.