🔗 Share this article

From Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a major Latin American film-maker, art museums as well as institutions across the United States are preparing a series of spectacular shows coming up for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back in 2023, now just a placeholder listing at a major museum's website, this major retrospective of a central creators of the Pop Art era comes with some pretty heavy anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of close to 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, numerous borrowed works from institutions globally. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco sister institutions, one prestigious venue and another, will focus on the Floating City with two interconnected shows: one location presents a celebration of the city as a source of high art throughout the centuries, while the other will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the prospect of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately met the challenge, creating some 37 canvases, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

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

Marking the 25th anniversary of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of film that was left out of the released movie, crafting an art installation that also serves as a homage to film. Reportedly Iñárritu delved into the archives to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. It's possible the installation will instil some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculptor creator a major career survey, starting with her early works and progressing all the way up to a new collection of pieces fashioned from scrap metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove often takes her components straight from the city environment, creating fascinating and strange sculptures that have been displayed in prestigious venues. Having had significant exhibitions in the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, her three decades of creation are ready for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Those who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – it’s in fact one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired 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 – the first such showing 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. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated titans of Renaissance Italy – but 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 famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring works from throughout Europe and over 200 works total, this is poised as a major event. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a significant and immersive video installation by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. As with most of her work, Cheang here explores the daily struggles of trans life. The installation is designed as a highly interactive experience, with visitors encouraged to interact with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will feature recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her home country of Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing discarded objects to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition highlights new work based on the theme of same-sex marriage. It extends her ongoing project of using found items as a meaningful gesture of resistance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how men and women are socialized to inhabit space differently, this show examines how non-verbal communication influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s research spanned art as old as 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the evocative silhouette art of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. In the summer months, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, a Michigan museum presents a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.