The Most Exciting US Gallery Shows Coming in 2026

From old masters and contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a major Latin American director, galleries as well as institutions across the United States have a series of spectacular shows coming up for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago during 2023, and currently merely a placeholder listing on a major museum's website, this major retrospective of a pioneering figures of the Pop Art era comes with significant expectations. The museum will be drawing on its long-held holdings of nearly 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, as well as, presumably, numerous loans from institutions globally. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area sister institutions, one prestigious venue and another, will focus on the Floating City through 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 made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the challenge of painting Venice – a theme that had captivated the world’s most esteemed artists for centuries – but he eventually met the challenge, producing approximately 37 canvases, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. Winter through Summer and Spring into Summer.

Alejandro G Iñárritu's *Sueño Perro*: A Cinematic Resurrection

Celebrating the quarter-century of his massive debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of film that was left out of the released movie, creating an art installation that also serves as a homage to celluloid. Accounts suggest Iñárritu delved into the archives to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. Perhaps the exhibit will evoke a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

The Sculptural World of Carol Bove

The Guggenheim will give the multidisciplinary sculpture and installation creator a major career survey, beginning with her initial pieces and progressing all the way up to a fresh series of works made from scrap metal and steel tubing. Drawing from “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove often sources her materials directly from the city environment, creating fascinating and strange constructions that have been displayed in prestigious venues. Having had major shows in the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of work are ripe for a in-depth survey. 5 March–2 August.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

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 paper compositions that he combined with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, a Midwestern museum will display the complete set of Matisse’s preparatory models – an unprecedented exhibition after the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 of Matisse’s other works. These creations were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

The great painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned masters of Renaissance Italy – yet he has seldom been honored with a large-scale exhibition on American soil. A premier East Coast institution aims to rectify that with this landmark show. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring loans from all across Europe and over 200 works in all, this promises to be a blockbuster show. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a significant and immersive video installation by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in digital art. In keeping with most of her work, Cheang here investigates the daily struggles of transgender existence. The installation is designed as a highly interactive experience, with audience members encouraged to play around with the four moveable screens that show the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases recent creations 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 recognized for deconstructing discarded objects to make elaborate, queer-themed sculptures. The show showcases recent pieces based on the theme of queer weddings. It extends her ongoing project of using found items as a meaningful gesture of defiance. 27 August–18 January 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who studied how genders are conditioned to use physical space differently, this show examines how non-verbal communication shapes unspoken interaction. Wex’s research spanned art dating back to ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of contemporary diverse artists. 20 September–Spring 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the haunting shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is highlighting the work of rising Black artist Kwamé Azure Gomez. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits iconic pop artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. In September, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a selection of the artist's architectural studies. And also in September, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of artist Kim Chong Hak.