Spanning old masters to pop artists, modern visionaries alongside a major Mexican director, art museums as well as institutions throughout the US have a series of dazzling shows coming up for 2026.
Roy Lichtenstein
Announced several years ago during 2023, and currently just a placeholder listing on The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of a central creators of the Pop Art era carries significant expectations. The museum will be drawing on its long-held holdings of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, dozens loans from institutions around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.
Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet
San Francisco sister institutions, one prestigious venue and deYoung, will focus on Venice with two interconnected shows: the former museum presents a exploration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet made of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the challenge of depicting Venice – a theme that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – yet he ultimately rose to the task, producing some 37 canvases, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.
Alejandro G Iñárritu's *Sueño Perro*: A Cinematic Resurrection
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of footage that was left out of the released movie, creating an immersive experience that also serves as a love letter to film. Reportedly Iñárritu dug deep into the archives to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. Perhaps the exhibit will instil a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of 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 creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and progressing all the way up to a new series of pieces fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove often sources her components straight from the city environment, producing fascinating and strange constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable venues. With major shows in the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s thirty years of creation are ready for a in-depth survey. Early Spring to Summer.
Henri Matisse's *Jazz*: A Symphony of Cut Paper
Anyone who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s in fact one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.
Raphael: Sublime Poetry
The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of Renaissance Italy – yet he has seldom received a large-scale exhibition 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*. Featuring works from all across Europe and over 200 works in all, this is poised as a major event. 29 March–28 June.
Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision
A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a major, large-scale film-based work by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. As with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the daily struggles of trans life. The installation promises to be a highly interactive piece, with audience members invited to play around with the four moveable screens that show the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.
Leilah Babirye
A Boston contemporary art center will feature recent creations 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 transforming discarded objects to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition highlights new work based on the concept of queer weddings. 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: Body Language and Power
Expanding upon the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are conditioned to use physical space differently, this show examines how non-verbal communication influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s research spanned art dating back to 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and put into conversation with the work of contemporary diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.
Additional Highlights for 2026
In February, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the evocative silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of rising Black artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a selection of the artist's architectural studies. And also in September, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.
