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From old masters and pop artists, modern visionaries and even a renowned Mexican director, galleries as well as galleries throughout the United States have a series of spectacular shows on the horizon in 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago in 2023, now just a placeholder listing on The Whitney’s online schedule, this major retrospective of a pioneering figures of the Pop Art era carries significant anticipation. The museum will be drawing on its long-held collection of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, numerous borrowed works from collections around the world. TBD 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

San Francisco sister institutions, one prestigious venue and deYoung, will be centering Venice with two interconnected shows: one location presents a exploration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the prospect of depicting Venice – a theme that had captivated the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, creating some 37 paintings, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the 25th anniversary of his massive debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over a million feet of film that was left out into the released movie, creating an art installation that doubles as a love letter to film. Accounts suggest Iñárritu dug deep into the vaults to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the exhibit will evoke a sense of optimism that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her initial pieces and progressing through to a fresh series of pieces fashioned from scrap metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often sources her materials straight from the city environment, creating fascinating and strange constructions that have been displayed in prestigious venues. With major shows in the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ripe for a thorough overview. 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* – this is in fact one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum will display all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus around 50 additional pieces by the artist. These creations represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has seldom been honored with a large-scale exhibition on American soil. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With loans from throughout Europe and more than 200 works total, this is poised as a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s 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 much of her work, Cheang here explores the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation is designed as a very engaging experience, with audience members invited to play around with the four moveable screens that display the core footage. 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 when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing unconventional materials to make elaborate, queer-themed assemblages. This exhibition highlights recent pieces based on the theme of same-sex marriage. It extends her ongoing project of using found items as a meaningful gesture of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are socialized to inhabit space differently, this show examines how body language shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s research spanned art as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern 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 featuring the work of rising artist an innovative creator. During the summer, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a selection of the artist's architectural studies. And also in September, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.