Must-See US Gallery Shows Coming in 2026

From Renaissance masters and pop artists, contemporary greats and even a renowned Latin American director, galleries as well as galleries across the US have a series of dazzling exhibitions coming up for 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago during 2023, and currently just a mostly empty page on a major museum's online schedule, this major retrospective of one of the pioneering figures of the pop art movement carries significant anticipation. The institution will be drawing on its long-held holdings of nearly 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, dozens loans from collections around the world. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area sister institutions, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will be centering Venice with two interconnected shows: one location will offer a exploration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, while the other will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. The artist felt intimidated by the prospect of painting Venice – a theme that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – but he eventually met the challenge, producing some 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

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

Marking the quarter-century of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over a million feet of footage that never made it of the final cut, creating an art installation that doubles as a homage to celluloid. Reportedly the director dug deep into the vaults to create what he described as “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 runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the mixed media sculpture and installation creator a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and moving all the way up to a new collection of pieces fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove often takes her components directly from the urban landscape, producing fascinating and strange sculptures that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable art spots. With major shows in the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her three decades of work are ready for a in-depth survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Those who know the book *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. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute will display all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as some 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of Renaissance Italy – yet he has rarely been honored with a major show on US 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 works from all across Europe and more than 200 works in all, this promises to be a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a significant and immersive video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. As with most of her work, Cheang here explores the everyday realities of transgender existence. The installation promises to be a highly interactive piece, with visitors invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will feature recent creations 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 known for transforming unconventional materials to make intricate, queer-themed sculptures. This exhibition showcases new work based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of employing reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space

Building on the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this exhibition investigates how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art dating back to 2000 BC. In this presentation, 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

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the haunting silhouette art of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of up and coming artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, an Arkansas museum revisits iconic pop 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. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue displays the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.