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Spanning old masters to pop artists, contemporary greats and even a major Latin American film-maker, art museums as well as institutions throughout the United States have some dazzling exhibitions coming up for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back in 2023, and currently merely a mostly empty page on The Whitney’s website, this expansive survey of a central creators of the pop art movement comes with some pretty heavy expectations. The museum plans to utilize its long-held holdings of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, dozens loans from institutions around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area partner museums, one prestigious venue along with another, will focus on the Floating City with two interconnected exhibitions: the former museum will offer a celebration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a subject that had captivated the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, creating approximately 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the quarter-century of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over 1m ft of film that was left out into the final cut, crafting an art installation that doubles as a love letter to film. Reportedly the director delved into the vaults 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 instil some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation artist a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her initial pieces and progressing through to a fresh collection of works fashioned from found metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often sources her materials straight from the city environment, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have appeared in prestigious venues. Having had significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, her thirty years of work are ready for a in-depth overview. 5 March–2 August.

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

Anyone familiar with 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 paper compositions that he combined with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum will display the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has seldom been honored with a major show on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for iconic works 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. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s queer art museum presents a major, large-scale film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of trans life. The installation promises to be a highly interactive piece, with visitors invited to interact with the four moveable screens that show the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center showcases recent creations from this artist, who was forced to flee her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming discarded objects to make intricate, queer-themed assemblages. The show showcases recent pieces based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of employing found items as a meaningful gesture of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how men and women are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this exhibition examines how non-verbal communication influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum showcases the evocative shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. And also in September, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.