These 18 Artists Are Dominating U.S. Museums Right Now

Ben Davis, ArtNet, October 1, 2026

This time around, I’ve partnered with Artfacts.net to get the data. Artfacts is the most comprehensive database tracking museum shows, as well as a host of other data about artist careers.

As for the rankings, I have my own way of tabulating which artists are having the best month, meant to balance artists who are getting focused attention with artists who are featured widely in a lot of group shows. Basically, I add up group show appearances, which I count as 1 point, along with larger shows, which I award 2 to 5, depending on how substantial they are. That is what the number beside each name below represents; the full methodology is at the bottom of the post. (It changes a bit month to month as a refine it.)

At 99, Alex Katz is part of art history, and has been a steady presence near the top ranks. Katz’s breezy figuration currently features in exhibitions about Maine as a creative nexus and “the art of witty banter,” among other places. But it’s two concurrent large shows organized by the Colby College Museum of Art on different aspects of Katz’s career that place him so high. Colby has a dedicated Schupf Wing for the Works of Alex Katz, which does stack the deck.