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Spanning old masters to pop artists, modern visionaries alongside a renowned Latin American director, art museums as well as institutions across the United States are preparing some dazzling shows on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back during 2023, and currently merely a mostly empty page at The Whitney’s online schedule, this expansive survey of a pioneering figures of the pop art movement comes with significant anticipation. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, numerous borrowed works from collections around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco sister institutions, the Legion of Honor and another, will be centering Venice with two linked shows: the former museum will offer a exploration of the city as an engine of high art throughout the centuries, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the prospect of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, creating some 37 paintings, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the 25th anniversary of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of film that never made it of the released movie, creating an art installation that also serves as a love letter to celluloid. Reportedly the director 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 evoke some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the mixed media sculpture and installation artist a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her initial pieces and progressing through to a new collection of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove often takes her components directly from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable venues. With significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her three decades of creation are ripe for a thorough survey. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus some 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of Renaissance Italy – yet he has seldom been honored with a major show on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from all across Europe and more than 200 works total, this promises to be a major event. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a major, large-scale video installation by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. As with much of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the daily struggles of transgender existence. Lover Love promises to be 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 native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing discarded objects to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition showcases recent pieces based on the theme of same-sex marriage. It extends her ongoing project of employing reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are conditioned to use physical space differently, this show examines how body language influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s research spanned art dating back to ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of modern diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the haunting shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming 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 the artist's architectural studies. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.