🔗 Share this article Unmissable US Gallery Shows Arriving in 2026 Spanning Renaissance masters to contemporary icons, contemporary greats alongside a major Latin American film-maker, art museums as well as galleries across the US have some spectacular shows on the horizon for 2026. Roy Lichtenstein First revealed several years ago in 2023, now just a mostly empty page on The Whitney’s online schedule, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the pop art movement carries some pretty heavy expectations. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of close to 500 works from Lichtenstein, in addition to, one would imagine, numerous loans from collections globally. Dates to be announced 2026. Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice Bay Area partner museums, the Legion of Honor and deYoung, will be centering Venice with two linked exhibitions: the former museum presents a exploration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration for hundreds of years, and the latter will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had captivated the most revered artists for centuries – but he eventually met the challenge, creating approximately 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July. Alejandro G Iñárritu's *Sueño Perro*: A Cinematic Resurrection A visual from the film installation. Courtesy: Example Source Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than a million feet of footage that was left out into the final cut, crafting an art installation that also serves as a homage to celluloid. Accounts suggest the director delved into the vaults to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke some of the hope that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer. Carol Bove A major New York museum is dedicating the mixed media sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and moving through to a fresh collection of works made from found metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove often sources her materials directly from the city environment, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have appeared in prestigious art spots. With significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and a Parisian institution, her three decades of work are ripe for a in-depth overview. Early Spring to Summer. Henri Matisse's *Jazz*: A Symphony of Cut Paper The artist - *Horse, Rider, and Clown* from *Jazz*, 1947. Credit: Example Archive Those familiar with the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 paper compositions that he paired with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June. Raphael: Master of the Renaissance The great artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of the Italian Renaissance – but 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 famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from all across 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 An artistic creation by the artist. Credit: Gallery A New York queer art museum presents a significant and immersive video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang here investigates the daily struggles of transgender existence. Lover Love promises to be a very engaging piece, with audience members invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that show the central film. 2 April–January 2027. Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance A Boston contemporary art center showcases new work from this artist, who was forced to flee her native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing discarded objects to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. The show highlights new work based on the concept of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of employing reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027. Taking Back Our Space Study from the artist's influential project. Credit: Example Museum Building on the foundational research of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this show investigates how non-verbal communication influences unconscious interaction. Wex’s research included art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of contemporary diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027. Additional Highlights for 2026 Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the haunting silhouette art of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of up and coming artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. 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 presents a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. And also in September, the Phoenix Art Museum displays the vibrant work of artist Kim Chong Hak.