Unmissable American Gallery Shows Arriving in 2026

Spanning old masters and contemporary icons, contemporary greats alongside a major Latin American film-maker, art museums and institutions across the US have a series of dazzling exhibitions on the horizon in 2026.

The Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back during 2023, and currently just a mostly empty page on The Whitney’s website, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the Pop Art era comes with some pretty heavy expectations. The museum plans to utilize its long-held holdings of close to 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens loans from collections globally. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area partner museums, the Legion of Honor and another, will focus on Venice through two linked exhibitions: one location presents a celebration of the city as a source of high art for hundreds of years, while the other zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the prospect of painting Venice – a theme that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – yet he ultimately met the challenge, creating some 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than a million feet of footage that was left out of the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that doubles as a love letter to film. Reportedly the director dug deep into the archives to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the installation will instil some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the multidisciplinary sculptor artist a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and progressing all the way up to a new series of pieces made from found metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 60s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently sources her components straight from the urban landscape, producing intriguing and unusual sculptures that have appeared in prestigious venues. With major shows at Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s thirty years of work are ripe for a thorough survey. Early Spring to Summer.

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

Anyone familiar with the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – this is actually one of 20 paper compositions that he combined with text and published as a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum will display all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a prolific final chapter 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 the Italian Renaissance – but he has seldom received a major show on US soil. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from all across Europe and more than 200 works total, this promises to be a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a major, large-scale film-based work by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. As with most of her work, Cheang here investigates the everyday realities of trans life. Lover Love is designed as a highly interactive experience, with audience members encouraged to play around with the four moveable screens that show the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center will feature new work from this artist, who was forced to flee her home country of Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing discarded objects to make intricate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. The show showcases new work based on the theme of same-sex marriage. It extends her longstanding practice of using reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Expanding upon the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are socialized to inhabit space differently, this show investigates how body language shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art dating back to 2000 BC. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are displayed and put into conversation with the work of contemporary diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution celebrates the haunting shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist an innovative creator. During the summer, an Arkansas museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, a Michigan museum will show a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.