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From Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a major Latin American film-maker, art museums as well as institutions throughout the United States are preparing some spectacular exhibitions on the horizon for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago during 2023, now just a mostly empty page on a major museum's online schedule, this expansive survey of a pioneering figures of the Pop Art era comes with some pretty heavy expectations. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of close to 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens borrowed works from institutions around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor along with deYoung, will be centering the Floating City with two linked exhibitions: the former museum presents a celebration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the prospect of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually met the challenge, creating approximately 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *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 debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over a million feet of film that was left out into the released movie, crafting an art installation that doubles as a homage to film. Reportedly Iñárritu dug deep into the vaults to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the exhibit will instil some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculptor artist a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and moving through to a new series of works made from found metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often takes her components directly from the city environment, creating intriguing and unusual sculptures that have been displayed in prestigious venues. With significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s three decades of creation are ready for a in-depth survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Those who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – this is in fact 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 all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated titans of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has seldom been honored with a major show on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from all across Europe and more than 200 works total, this is poised as a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a significant and immersive film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the daily struggles of trans life. The installation is designed as a very engaging experience, with visitors invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center 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 unconventional materials to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. The show showcases new work based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of using found items as a symbolic act of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are conditioned to use physical space differently, this show examines how body language shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s explorations are displayed and put into conversation with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the haunting silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a collection of the artist's architecture paintings. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.