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From old masters to pop artists, modern visionaries and even a major Mexican director, galleries and galleries across the United States are preparing some spectacular shows on the horizon for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back in 2023, now merely a placeholder listing at The Whitney’s online schedule, this expansive survey of a pioneering figures of the Pop Art era comes with significant anticipation. The institution plans to utilize its decades-old holdings of close to 500 works from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, numerous loans from institutions globally. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area partner museums, one prestigious venue and another, will focus on Venice with two interconnected shows: the former museum presents a celebration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, and the latter will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately rose to the task, producing some 37 paintings, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

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 into the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that also serves as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly Iñárritu delved into the vaults to create what he called “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 despite the pain he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the multidisciplinary sculptor artist a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and moving all the way up to a new series of works fashioned from found metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove frequently takes her materials straight from the city environment, creating fascinating and strange constructions that have appeared in prestigious art spots. With significant exhibitions at the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her three decades of creation are ripe for a in-depth overview. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and published as a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum 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 were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom been honored with a large-scale exhibition on American soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from all across Europe and more than 200 works in all, this is poised as a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a significant and immersive film-based work by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang here investigates the everyday realities of transgender existence. The installation promises to be a highly interactive experience, with audience members invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases new work from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda after being outed 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 concept of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of employing found items 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 west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are socialized to use physical space differently, this show examines how body language influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the haunting shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, a Michigan museum will show a selection of the artist's architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.