'Selena Forever/Siempre Selena': A photo exhibit of the Tejano icon at the Briscoe Western Art Museum
By Jack Morgan
August 17, 2026 at 6:46 PM CDT
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A new exhibit at the Briscoe Western Art Museum goes back about three decades in time and gives a sneak peek into one of the Alamo City’s favorite performers — Selena Quintanilla Perez.
Curating this "Selena Forever/Siempre Selena" exhibit is Jason Kirkland, and the exhibit revolves around one photographer, John Dyer.
Selena Quintanilla was a singer, but she also loved fashion, In the early 1990s she opened a retail store selling clothing she designed.
Kirkland said Dyer remembers that Selena didn’t show up empty-handed to their photo session.
“He said that she pulled up in her red hatchback and basically opened her trunk and had almost, as he put it, every outfit that she owned (and) brought that to the photo shoot,” Kirkland said.
Selena Quintanilla (1500x1484, AR: 1.0107816711590296)
Selena was an outstanding singer, but she also had a clothing design sense that was instinctual. Regarding fashion, she knew what worked and what didn’t. And she was completely comfortable in putting on her clothing and posing for photos.
“John (Dyer) basically said he didn't have to give any direction to Selena, and that she just lit up, and his camera really loved her,” said Kirkland.
The Selena photos displayed are quite large — 55 inches square — and most are nearly life-sized. Kirkland described the exhibition.
“We have eight of the monumental photos, and then we have a series of eight of the boutique images,” Kirkland said. “And what this exhibition brings together for the first time are both the monumental photos and those boutique photos. In addition, we have five magazine covers of John's work that were used, and a note from one of the creative directors of Texas Monthly.”
Selena (2400x3007, AR: 0.7981376787495843)
The Selena story is a tragic one. In 1995, just as her career was taking off, Selena was murdered by friend and business associate, Yolanda Saldivar.
Another exhibition called "The Tejano Legacy: Another American Origin Story" is also on display now.
The Briscoe Western Art Museum "Selena Forever/Siempre Selena" exhibit will be up through January 4, 2027.
A new exhibit at the Briscoe Western Art Museum goes back about three decades in time and gives a sneak peek into one of the Alamo City’s favorite performers — Selena Quintanilla Perez.
Curating this "Selena Forever/Siempre Selena" exhibit is Jason Kirkland, and the exhibit revolves around one photographer, John Dyer.
Selena Quintanilla was a singer, but she also loved fashion, In the early 1990s she opened a retail store selling clothing she designed.
Kirkland said Dyer remembers that Selena didn’t show up empty-handed to their photo session.
“He said that she pulled up in her red hatchback and basically opened her trunk and had almost, as he put it, every outfit that she owned (and) brought that to the photo shoot,” Kirkland said.
Selena Quintanilla (1500x1484, AR: 1.0107816711590296)
Selena was an outstanding singer, but she also had a clothing design sense that was instinctual. Regarding fashion, she knew what worked and what didn’t. And she was completely comfortable in putting on her clothing and posing for photos.
“John (Dyer) basically said he didn't have to give any direction to Selena, and that she just lit up, and his camera really loved her,” said Kirkland.
The Selena photos displayed are quite large — 55 inches square — and most are nearly life-sized. Kirkland described the exhibition.
“We have eight of the monumental photos, and then we have a series of eight of the boutique images,” Kirkland said. “And what this exhibition brings together for the first time are both the monumental photos and those boutique photos. In addition, we have five magazine covers of John's work that were used, and a note from one of the creative directors of Texas Monthly.”
Selena (2400x3007, AR: 0.7981376787495843)
The Selena story is a tragic one. In 1995, just as her career was taking off, Selena was murdered by friend and business associate, Yolanda Saldivar.
Another exhibition called "The Tejano Legacy: Another American Origin Story" is also on display now.
The Briscoe Western Art Museum "Selena Forever/Siempre Selena" exhibit will be up through January 4, 2027.