Must-See American Art Exhibitions Coming in 2026

Spanning old masters and pop artists, modern visionaries and even a major Latin American director, galleries and institutions throughout the United States have a series of dazzling shows on the horizon for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago in 2023, and currently just a placeholder listing at The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of one of the pioneering figures of the pop art movement comes with some pretty heavy anticipation. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old holdings of nearly 500 works from Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, numerous borrowed works from institutions globally. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area partner museums, one prestigious venue and another, will be centering Venice with two interconnected shows: one location will offer a exploration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet made of the enchanting city of canals. The artist was daunted by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had captivated the most revered artists for centuries – but he eventually rose to the task, producing some 37 paintings, including the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

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

Marking the quarter-century of his massive debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than 1m ft of footage that never made it into the released movie, crafting an art installation that doubles as a homage to film. Reportedly Iñárritu delved into the vaults to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will instil some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the mixed media sculptor artist a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and moving all the way up to a fresh collection of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove frequently takes her materials straight from the city environment, creating fascinating and strange constructions that have been displayed in prestigious venues. With significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, Bove’s three decades of work are ripe for a thorough survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Anyone who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and published as a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, a Midwestern museum exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus around 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations represented a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of the Italian Renaissance – but he has seldom received a major show on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from throughout Europe and more than 200 works total, this promises to be a major event. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a major, large-scale video installation 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 everyday realities of transgender existence. Lover Love is designed as a very engaging piece, with audience members encouraged to play around with the multiple movable screens that display the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center will feature recent creations from this artist, who was forced to flee her native Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing discarded objects to make intricate, queer-themed assemblages. This exhibition highlights recent pieces based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of using reclaimed materials as a symbolic act 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 men and women are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this exhibition examines how body language shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art dating back to ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the evocative silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of rising artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, a Michigan museum will show a selection of the artist's architecture paintings. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.