🔗 Share this article Must-See American Gallery Shows Arriving in 2026 Spanning Renaissance masters and pop artists, modern visionaries and even a renowned Mexican film-maker, galleries and galleries across the United States have a series of dazzling shows coming up in 2026. Roy Lichtenstein First revealed all the way back during 2023, and currently merely a mostly empty page at The Whitney’s online schedule, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the Pop Art era carries some pretty heavy expectations. The museum will be drawing on its long-held collection of nearly 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, numerous borrowed works from collections globally. TBD 2026. Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice San Francisco partner museums, one prestigious venue and deYoung, will focus on the Floating City with two interconnected shows: one location presents a exploration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other will focus on what impressionist Claude Monet made of the enchanting city of canals. The artist was daunted by the challenge of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the world’s most esteemed artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately met the challenge, producing approximately 37 canvases, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and 21 March-26 July. Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu A visual from this film installation. Courtesy: Example Source Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his massive first feature, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu revisits more than a million feet of film that was left out of the released movie, creating an immersive experience that doubles as a love letter to celluloid. Accounts suggest the director dug deep into the vaults to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of a cherished films. It's possible the exhibit will instil a sense of optimism that runs through Iñárritu’s film in spite of the hardship he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer. Carol Bove A major New York museum is dedicating the mixed media sculpture and installation creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her early works and progressing all the way up to a new series of works fashioned from scrap metal and industrial materials. Inspired by “the 1960s” and minimalism, Bove frequently sources her components straight from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have appeared in prestigious venues. Having had major shows in the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ready for a in-depth survey. Early Spring to Summer. Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color The artist - A composition from *Jazz*, 1947. Credit: Museum Collection Those who know the book *The Body Keeps the Score* may recognize French master Henri Matisse’s cut-out *Icarus* – this is in fact one of 20 cut-paper works that he combined with text and published as a book titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute will display all 20 of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – plus some 50 of Matisse’s other works. The cut paper works represented a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June. Raphael: Master of the Renaissance Italian master painter and architect 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. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this landmark show. Raphael is famous for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from throughout Europe and more than 200 works total, this promises to be a major event. 29 March–28 June. Shu Lea Cheang's *Lover Love*: An Interactive Vision *SadeX tableaux* by the artist. Photo: Example Photographer NYC’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a significant and immersive video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in digital art. As with much of her work, Cheang here explores the everyday realities of trans life. The installation is designed as a very engaging piece, with audience members encouraged to play around with the four moveable screens that show the central film. Spring 2026 through early 2027. Leilah Babirye: Reclamation and Defiance The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases recent creations 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 unconventional materials to make intricate, queer-themed assemblages. The show showcases recent pieces based on the concept of same-sex marriage. It extends her longstanding practice of using reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of defiance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027. Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power Study from Marianne Wex's influential project. Courtesy: Example Museum Expanding upon the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are conditioned to inhabit space differently, this show investigates how body language shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s studies spanned art as old as 2000 BC. Here, Wex’s explorations are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. 20 September–Spring 2027. Additional Highlights for 2026 Early in the year, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the evocative silhouette art of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of up and coming Black artist an innovative creator. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.