The Most Exciting American Gallery Shows Arriving in 2026

Spanning Renaissance masters to contemporary icons, contemporary greats and even a renowned Mexican film-maker, galleries as well as galleries across the United States are preparing some dazzling shows on the horizon for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

Announced several years ago in 2023, now just a placeholder listing at The Whitney’s website, this major retrospective of a pioneering figures of the Pop Art era comes with significant anticipation. The institution will be drawing on its long-held collection of close to 500 works by Lichtenstein, as well as, one would imagine, numerous borrowed works from collections around the world. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area sister institutions, one prestigious venue along with deYoung, will focus on the Floating City through two linked exhibitions: one location presents a celebration of the city as a source of artistic inspiration throughout the centuries, while the other will focus on what the Impressionist Claude Monet thought of the romantic city of canals. The artist was daunted by the challenge of depicting Venice – a theme that had inspired the most revered artists for hundreds of years – but he eventually met the challenge, creating approximately 37 canvases, including the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and 21 March-26 July.

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

Marking the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut film, *Amores Perros*, director Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to over 1m ft of footage that never made it of the released movie, crafting an immersive experience that also serves as a homage to celluloid. Accounts suggest the director delved into the vaults to create what he called “a rebirth, not merely a tribute” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the exhibit will evoke a sense of optimism that pervades Iñárritu’s film in spite of the pain he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum will give the multidisciplinary sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, beginning with her early works and progressing all the way up to a new collection of pieces made from found metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 1960s” and Minimalist art, Bove frequently sources her components directly from the urban landscape, creating intriguing and unusual constructions that have been displayed in some of the country’s most notable venues. With significant exhibitions at Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, Bove’s thirty years of creation are ready for a thorough overview. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Those who know a certain publication *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – this is in fact one of 20 paper compositions that he paired with text and bound into a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. This spring, Chicago’s Art Institute will display all 20 of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing since the museum obtained the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works were part of a prolific final chapter for Matisse. 7 March-1 June.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino stood alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the renowned titans of Renaissance Italy – yet he has seldom received a large-scale exhibition on American soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is famous for masterpieces like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. With works from all across Europe and more than 200 works in all, this promises to be a blockbuster show. Late March through June.

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

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art will host a significant and immersive film-based work by transmedia artist and film-maker Shu Lea Cheang, a major figure in new media art. As with much of her work, Cheang in this piece investigates the everyday realities of transgender existence. Lover Love is designed as a very engaging piece, with visitors encouraged to play around with the multiple movable screens that show the core footage. Spring 2026 through early 2027.

Leilah Babirye

A Boston contemporary art center showcases recent creations from this artist, who was compelled to leave her native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is known for deconstructing unconventional materials to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed sculptures. This exhibition showcases recent pieces based on the concept of same-sex marriage. This continues her longstanding practice of employing reclaimed materials as a symbolic act of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the pioneering work of German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how genders are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition examines how non-verbal communication influences unspoken interaction. Wex’s research spanned art as old as ancient sculptures. Here, Wex’s findings are both exhibited and juxtaposed with the work of modern diverse artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

And more …

In February, the Seattle Art Museum celebrates the evocative shadow-based work of an emerging artist. Starting 5 March, a prominent gallery is featuring the work of up and coming artist an innovative creator. During the summer, the Crystal Bridges Museum revisits 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his sculptural works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts presents a selection of Georgia O’Keefe’s architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.