From Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, modern visionaries alongside a renowned Latin American film-maker, art museums and galleries across the US are preparing some spectacular shows on the horizon in 2026.
Roy Lichtenstein
Announced all the way back in 2023, now just a placeholder listing at a major museum's online schedule, this major retrospective of a central creators of the pop art movement carries significant anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its long-held collection of nearly 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, numerous loans from institutions around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.
Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice
San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor along with another, will focus on Venice through two linked exhibitions: the former museum presents a celebration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, while the other will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, creating approximately 37 canvases, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.
Alejandro G Iñárritu's *Sueño Perro*: A Cinematic Resurrection
Celebrating the quarter-century of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over a million feet of footage that was left out of the final cut, crafting an art installation that also serves as a love letter to celluloid. Accounts suggest the director dug deep into the vaults to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will instil some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.
The Sculptural World of Carol Bove
A major New York museum will give the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her early works and moving through to a new series of pieces fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently sources her materials straight from the urban landscape, producing fascinating and strange constructions that have been displayed in prestigious art spots. With significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of work are ready 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* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum will display the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as 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 artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of the Italian Renaissance – but he has rarely received a large-scale exhibition on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum 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 total, this promises to be a major event. 29 March–28 June.
Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision
NYC’s queer art museum presents a major, large-scale film-based work by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of trans life. The installation promises to be a very engaging experience, with audience members invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the central film. 2 April–January 2027.
Leilah Babirye
A Boston contemporary art center will feature new work from this artist, who was compelled to leave her home country of Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing unconventional materials to make elaborate, queer-themed assemblages. The show showcases recent pieces based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of using reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.
Taking Back Our Space
Expanding upon the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to use physical space differently, this show examines how non-verbal communication influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s research spanned art dating back to 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.
And more …
Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the haunting shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of up and coming artist an innovative creator. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, a Michigan museum presents a selection of the artist's architectural studies. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.
