Must-See US Gallery Shows Coming in 2026

Spanning old masters to pop artists, modern visionaries alongside a major Mexican director, galleries and institutions across the US are preparing some spectacular exhibitions on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago in 2023, now just a placeholder listing on The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of a 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 pieces by Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, numerous borrowed works from collections globally. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area sister institutions, the Legion of Honor along with deYoung, will be centering Venice through two linked exhibitions: one location will offer a exploration of the city as a source of high art for hundreds of years, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the prospect of painting Venice – a theme that had captivated the most revered artists for centuries – but he eventually rose to the task, creating some 37 paintings, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

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

Marking the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over 1m ft of footage that was left out into the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that also serves as a love letter to film. Reportedly Iñárritu dug deep into the archives to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the installation will evoke a sense of optimism that pervades 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 mixed media sculpture and installation creator a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and progressing all the way up to a fresh collection of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently sources her materials straight from the city environment, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable venues. Having had major shows at Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s thirty years of work are ripe for a in-depth overview. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Those who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum will display the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – plus around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works represented a late stage flowering 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 masters of Renaissance Italy – but he has seldom received a large-scale exhibition on American soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from throughout Europe and over 200 works in all, this is poised as a major event. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision

A New York queer art museum presents a significant and immersive film-based work by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang in this piece explores the everyday realities of trans life. Lover Love is designed as a highly interactive experience, with audience members encouraged to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance

A Boston contemporary art center will feature new work from this artist, who was compelled to leave 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, queer-themed sculptures. This exhibition showcases new work based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of employing found items as a meaningful gesture of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how men and women are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition investigates how non-verbal communication influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the evocative shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of up and coming Black artist an innovative creator. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. And also in September, an Arizona venue exhibits the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.