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From Renaissance masters and contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a major Mexican film-maker, galleries as well as institutions throughout the United States have some dazzling exhibitions coming up for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back during 2023, now just a mostly empty page at a major museum's online schedule, this major retrospective of a central creators of the pop art movement comes with significant anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its long-held collection of nearly 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, dozens borrowed works from institutions around the world. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco sister institutions, one prestigious venue along with deYoung, will be centering Venice with two linked shows: one location will offer a celebration of the city as a source of high art for hundreds of years, and the latter zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the prospect of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – yet he ultimately met the challenge, creating approximately 37 paintings, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of footage that was left out into the final cut, creating an immersive experience that doubles as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest Iñárritu delved 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 runs through Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the mixed media sculptor artist a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and progressing all the way up to a fresh series of pieces fashioned from scrap metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove frequently sources her materials straight from the urban landscape, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in prestigious art spots. Having had significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ready for a in-depth overview. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Those familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus some 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Master of the Renaissance

The great painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of Renaissance Italy – yet he has rarely received a major show on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from throughout Europe and more than 200 works in all, this is poised as a major event. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York queer art museum will host a significant and immersive film-based work by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. As with much of her work, Cheang here explores the everyday realities of transgender existence. The installation promises to be a highly interactive experience, with visitors encouraged to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center 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 known for transforming unconventional materials to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. This exhibition showcases new work based on the theme of queer weddings. This continues her ongoing project of employing reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Expanding upon the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are socialized to use physical space differently, this exhibition examines how non-verbal communication influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the evocative shadow-based work 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 revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, a Michigan museum presents a selection of the artist's architectural studies. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.