🔗 Share this article

Spanning Renaissance masters and pop artists, modern visionaries alongside a renowned Latin American film-maker, art museums as well as institutions across the United States are preparing some spectacular shows coming up for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, and currently merely a mostly empty page on a major museum's online schedule, this major retrospective of a pioneering figures of the Pop Art era carries significant anticipation. The institution plans to utilize its decades-old collection of nearly 500 works from Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens loans from institutions globally. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area sister institutions, the Legion of Honor along with deYoung, will focus on Venice through two interconnected shows: the former museum will offer a exploration of the city as an engine of high art for hundreds of years, while the other zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for centuries – but he eventually rose to the task, creating approximately 37 canvases, including the renowned work *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 groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits over a million feet of footage that never made it of the final cut, crafting an art installation that doubles as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly the director dug deep into the vaults to create what he described as “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the exhibit will evoke some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he simultaneously documents. 22 February-26 July.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the mixed media sculpture and installation artist a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and progressing through to a fresh collection of pieces fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often sources her components straight from the city environment, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have appeared in some of the country’s most notable venues. Having had significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, Bove’s three decades of work are ripe for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Those who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and published as a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus around 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated titans of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has seldom received a large-scale exhibition on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum 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 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

NYC’s queer art museum will host a major, large-scale film-based work by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation is designed as a highly interactive experience, with visitors encouraged to play around with the four moveable screens that show the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center showcases recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for transforming discarded objects to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition highlights recent pieces based on the theme of same-sex marriage. This continues her longstanding practice of employing reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition examines how body language influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the haunting shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of rising artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, a Michigan museum will show a collection of the artist's architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue exhibits the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.