The Most Exciting American Gallery Shows Coming in 2026

Spanning old masters to contemporary icons, modern visionaries and even a major Latin American film-maker, art museums and galleries across the United States are preparing some spectacular shows coming up for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed all the way back in 2023, now just a mostly empty page on a major museum's website, this major retrospective of a pioneering figures of the pop art movement comes with significant expectations. The museum plans to utilize its decades-old collection of nearly 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, dozens borrowed works from collections globally. Dates to be announced 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

San Francisco sister institutions, one prestigious venue and another, will focus on the Floating City with two linked shows: the former museum presents a exploration of the city as a source of high art for hundreds of years, while the other will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself was daunted by the challenge of painting Venice – a subject that had captivated the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually rose to the task, producing approximately 37 canvases, among them the masterpiece *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over a million feet of film that never made it into the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that doubles as a homage to film. Accounts suggest the director delved into the vaults to create what he called “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of a cherished films. It's possible the exhibit will instil some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the mixed media sculpture and installation artist a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her initial pieces and moving all the way up to a new collection of pieces fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove often sources her materials straight from the urban landscape, producing intriguing and unusual constructions that have appeared in prestigious art spots. Having had significant exhibitions at the MoMA and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s three decades of work are ready for a in-depth survey. 5 March–2 August.

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

Anyone familiar with a certain publication *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 paired with text and bound into a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – the first such showing since the museum acquired 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. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has seldom received a major show on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring works from throughout Europe and over 200 works in all, this is poised as a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a major, large-scale video installation by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. In keeping with much of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the everyday realities of trans life. Lover Love is designed as a very engaging experience, with audience members invited to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center showcases new work from this artist, who was compelled to leave her home country of Uganda after being outed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing discarded objects to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. This exhibition highlights new work based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her longstanding practice of using reclaimed materials as a meaningful gesture of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the foundational research of 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 as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of modern diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the haunting silhouette art of an emerging artist. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of up and coming artist an innovative creator. In the summer months, an Arkansas museum revisits iconic pop artist Keith Haring with a show of his sculptural works. In September, a Michigan museum will show a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue exhibits the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.