Spanning Renaissance masters and pop artists, modern visionaries and even a major Mexican director, galleries and galleries throughout the US are preparing a series of dazzling shows on the horizon in 2026.
Roy Lichtenstein
Announced all the way back during 2023, now just a placeholder listing at a major museum's website, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the Pop Art era comes with some pretty heavy anticipation. The institution will be drawing on its long-held collection of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, numerous borrowed works from institutions around the world. Dates to be announced 2026.
Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice
San Francisco partner museums, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will be centering Venice through two interconnected shows: the former museum will offer a exploration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the enchanting city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the challenge of depicting Venice – a theme that had captivated the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually met the challenge, creating some 37 paintings, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.
Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than 1m ft of film that never made it into the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that doubles as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest the director delved into the archives 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 hardship he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.
The Sculptural World of Carol Bove
A major New York museum will give the multidisciplinary sculptor artist a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and moving through to a new series of works fashioned from found metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently sources her materials directly from the urban landscape, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in prestigious venues. Having had significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, her thirty years of creation are ready for a thorough overview. 5 March–2 August.
Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color
Anyone who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus some 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.
Raphael: Sublime Poetry
The great painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of Renaissance Italy – but he has rarely been honored with a major show on American soil. A premier East Coast institution 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 throughout Europe and more than 200 works total, this promises to be a blockbuster show. Late March through June.
Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision
NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a major, large-scale video installation by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the daily struggles of trans life. The installation promises to be a very engaging piece, with visitors invited to play around with the four moveable screens that display the central film. 2 April–January 2027.
Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance
The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for transforming discarded objects to make intricate, queer-themed sculptures. This exhibition showcases new work based on the theme of same-sex marriage. It extends her longstanding practice of employing reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.
Taking Back Our Space
Expanding upon the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to inhabit space differently, this show investigates how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art dating back to ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.
And more …
In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the evocative shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art 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 with a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, a Michigan museum presents a collection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. And also in September, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.
