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From old masters to pop artists, contemporary greats and even a major Mexican film-maker, galleries as well as galleries across the US are preparing some spectacular exhibitions on the horizon for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago in 2023, now just a mostly empty page on The Whitney’s website, this expansive survey of a pioneering figures of the Pop Art era comes with significant expectations. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, dozens borrowed works from collections globally. Dates to be announced 2026.

Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet

Bay Area sister institutions, one prestigious venue and another, will be centering the Floating City with two linked exhibitions: the former museum will offer a celebration of the city as an engine of high art for hundreds of years, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the prospect of depicting Venice – a theme that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately rose to the task, creating approximately 37 paintings, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Marking the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than 1m ft of film that was left out of the final cut, crafting an immersive experience that also serves as a homage to film. Accounts suggest Iñárritu dug deep into the vaults to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. Perhaps the installation will instil a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the multidisciplinary sculptor creator a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and moving through to a fresh series of pieces made from found metal and steel tubing. Inspired by “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove often takes her components directly from the city environment, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have appeared in prestigious art spots. With significant exhibitions at the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s thirty years of creation are ripe for a thorough overview. 5 March–2 August.

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

Those familiar with a certain publication *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. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus some 50 additional pieces by the artist. 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 renowned titans of the Italian Renaissance – but he has rarely 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 famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from all across Europe and more than 200 works in all, this promises to be a major event. Late March through 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 major figure in digital art. As with much of her work, Cheang here investigates the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation promises to be a very engaging piece, with audience members invited to interact with the four moveable screens that display the central film. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will feature recent creations from this artist, who was forced to flee her home country of Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for transforming unconventional materials to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. This exhibition highlights new work based on the theme of queer weddings. 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

Expanding upon the foundational research of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how men and women are socialized to use physical space differently, this exhibition investigates how non-verbal communication influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art as old as ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

And more …

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the haunting silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of rising Black artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. In September, a Michigan museum will show a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.