SAN ANTONIO, TX.- McNay Art Museum pays tribute to 90s icon, singer, designer, and Texas legend—Selena Quintanilla-Pérez—in its latest photography installation.

Selena Forever/Siempre Selena, opened January 15. The presentation features five photographs (three large-scale) by San Antonio photographer John Dyer, and is presented in conjunction with Fashion Nirvana: Runway to Everyday, opening January 30.

Selena was the subject of Dyer’s photo assignments in 1992 and again in 1995, just months before she was tragically killed at age 23. This year marks the 25th anniversary of her death.

In 1992, Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla drove her red hatchback to John Dyer’s photography studio for the Más Magazine cover shoot. The publication was interested in profiling the young Texas singer who was starting to make a name for herself, winning the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist for the ninth year in a row. Dyer said Selena’s quick smile, infectious laugh, and unending energy made her a pleasure to work with.

In early 1995, Texas Monthly wanted to do a photographic spread on Selena. By this point, she achieved incredible fame and transcended the boundaries of the Texas music scene. She won a Grammy Award, performed for sold-out crowds at the Houston Astrodome, opened two namesake fashion boutiques—one in Corpus Christi and one in San Antonio—and began work on her crossover album, Dreaming of You, which would garner a second Grammy nomination.

For the shoot, Selena and Dyer met at the Majestic Theatre in downtown San Antonio. She had just finished shooting television commercials for a corporate sponsor; Dyer described her as subdued and pensive, “a far cry from the ebullient excited young singer I’d photographed three years earlier.”

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (1971-1995) was an American singer, songwriter, model, actress, and fashion designer. During her career, Selena had seven No. 1 songs on the Hot Latin Songs chart. In 1993, Selena won the Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album.

San Antonio photographer John Dyer (born 1947) has photographed for Time Magazine, Elle, Newsweek, and Texas Monthly, among others. He is author of three books: Conjunto, El Vaquero: The Original American Cowboy, and San Antonio Hidden Treasures.

Selena Forever / Siempre Selena is organized by the McNay Art Museum, curated by Kate Carey, Head of Education. The exhibition is included with general admission to the McNay. Lead funding is most generously provided by the Elizabeth Huth Coates Exhibition Endowment.