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From Renaissance masters and pop artists, contemporary greats and even a renowned Latin American director, galleries and galleries throughout the US have some spectacular exhibitions on the horizon for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back during 2023, now just a mostly empty page on a major museum's website, this major retrospective of one of the central creators of the Pop Art era comes with some pretty heavy expectations. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old holdings of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, numerous loans from collections around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area sister institutions, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will be centering Venice with two interconnected exhibitions: one location presents a celebration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, and the latter will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the enchanting city of canals. The artist was daunted by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – yet he ultimately met the challenge, creating some 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

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

Celebrating the quarter-century of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than a million feet of footage that never made it of the final cut, crafting an art installation that also serves as a homage to film. Reportedly Iñárritu delved into the vaults to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. Perhaps the installation will instil a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the mixed media sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her initial pieces and progressing through to a fresh collection of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove frequently takes her components straight from the city environment, producing fascinating and strange constructions that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable art spots. Having had major shows in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ready for a in-depth survey. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone familiar with the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 paper compositions that he paired with text and published as a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated titans of Renaissance Italy – but he has rarely been honored with a major show on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from throughout Europe and over 200 works total, this promises to be a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a major, large-scale film-based work by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang here investigates the everyday realities of trans life. The installation promises to be a highly interactive piece, with audience members encouraged to interact with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases recent creations from this artist, who was forced to flee her native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing unconventional materials to make intricate, queer-themed sculptures. The show highlights recent pieces based on the theme of same-sex marriage. This continues her longstanding practice of using reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this show examines how body language influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art dating back to 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s explorations are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the haunting silhouette art of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of rising artist an innovative creator. During the summer, an Arkansas museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a collection of the artist's architectural studies. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.