The Most Exciting US Art Exhibitions Arriving in 2026
Spanning Renaissance masters to contemporary icons, modern visionaries alongside a renowned Mexican film-maker, art museums as well as institutions across the United States have some dazzling shows on the horizon in 2026.
Roy Lichtenstein
Announced several years ago during 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 era carries some pretty heavy anticipation. The institution will be drawing on its decades-old holdings of nearly 500 pieces from Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, numerous loans from institutions globally. TBD 2026.
Venetian Visions: From Old Masters to Monet
Bay Area sister institutions, one prestigious venue along with deYoung, will focus on Venice with two linked shows: the former museum will offer a celebration of the city as an engine of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, and the latter zooms in on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. The artist was daunted by the prospect of depicting Venice – a subject that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately met the challenge, creating approximately 37 canvases, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July.
Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu
Celebrating the quarter-century of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than 1m ft of film that never made it into the released movie, crafting an art installation that doubles as a homage to film. Accounts suggest 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. It's possible the installation will evoke some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film despite the hardship he also chronicles. Late Winter through Summer.
The Sculptural World of Carol Bove
A major New York museum will give the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her initial pieces and moving through to a fresh collection of pieces made from scrap metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove often sources her materials directly from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have appeared in prestigious art spots. Having had significant exhibitions in Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s thirty years of creation are ripe for a thorough overview. 5 March–2 August.
Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color
Those familiar with a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – this is in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he paired with text and published as a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute will display the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as some 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.
Raphael: Master of the Renaissance
Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of the Italian Renaissance – yet he has seldom received a large-scale exhibition on US soil. New York’s Metropolitan Museum aims to rectify that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known 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. Late March through June.
Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love
A New York queer art museum presents a major, large-scale film-based work by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang here investigates the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation is designed as a very engaging experience, with audience members encouraged to interact with the multiple movable screens that display the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 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 when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing unconventional materials to make elaborate, queer-themed sculptures. The show highlights new work based on the theme of same-sex marriage. 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: Body Language and Power
Expanding upon the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition investigates how body language shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies included art as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and put into conversation with the work of contemporary Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.
And more …
Early in the year, the Seattle Art Museum showcases the haunting shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is featuring 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. In September, a Michigan museum will show a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architectural studies. Simultaneously, the Phoenix Art Museum exhibits the vibrant work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.
