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Spanning Renaissance masters to pop artists, contemporary greats alongside a major Latin American director, galleries as well as institutions throughout the United States are preparing some dazzling exhibitions coming up for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced all the way back in 2023, now just a mostly empty page on The Whitney’s online schedule, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the Pop Art era carries significant expectations. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of nearly 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, dozens loans from institutions globally. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area partner museums, one prestigious venue along with another, will be centering Venice with two linked shows: one location will offer a exploration of the city as a source of high art for hundreds of years, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – yet he ultimately met the challenge, creating approximately 37 canvases, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

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

Marking the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than a million feet of footage that never made it of the released movie, creating an art installation that also serves as a homage to celluloid. Accounts suggest Iñárritu delved into the archives to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he also chronicles. 22 February-26 July.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the multidisciplinary sculptor creator a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and progressing through to a fresh collection of works fashioned from scrap metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove frequently takes her materials straight from the city environment, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in prestigious venues. With major shows at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, Bove’s three decades of work are ready for a in-depth survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Those familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus around 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of Renaissance Italy – yet he has seldom been honored with a large-scale exhibition on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from all across Europe and more than 200 works total, this is poised as a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a significant and immersive film-based work by Taiwanese-American artist and director 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. Lover Love promises to be a highly interactive experience, with audience members invited to play around with the four moveable screens that display the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center 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 transforming unconventional materials to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. The show showcases recent pieces based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of using found items as a meaningful gesture of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Expanding upon the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition examines how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s research included art dating back to ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the haunting silhouette art of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of up and coming artist an innovative creator. During the summer, an Arkansas museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a collection of the artist's architecture paintings. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.