SAN ANTONIO - It's been 25 years since San Antonio photographer John Dyer captured late Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez on film.

• Photos displayed as part of an installation at the McNay Art Museum
• Took photos for Mas Magazine and Texas Monthly

Many of his images made the covers of magazines, but for the first time, his pictures will be enlarged and displayed as part of an installation at the McNay Art Museum.

"I'm thrilled people want to see the photos that I had done 25 years ago of this young singer. [I'm thrilled] that there is still interest in her, that people want to go out of their way and see the photos and are moved by them," said Dyer.

READ MORE | Spurs to Honor Selena Quintanilla with First-Ever Selena Night in April

Dyer still remembers working with Selena, vividly. He first photographed her in 1992 as part of an assignment for Mas Magazine. The publication was interested in profiling the young Texas singer who was starting to make a name for herself.

 

Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez on the front cover of Mas Magazine (Courtesy: John Dyer)

"She showed up in her little red hatchback with all of her costumes in it and we just went wild for a whole day, shooting everything we could think of," Dyer said.

The two met again at the end of 1994 for a shoot at the Majestic Theatre for Texas Monthly. By this point, she achieved incredible fame and transcended the boundaries of the Texas music scene. Yet, between the time of the shoot and when the magazine hit newsstands, Selena was killed by the president of her fan club.

 

Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez on the front of People Weekly magazine

"It was especially sad to have a life force like that taken away from us. It upset me, it did," he said.

Around the world, but definitely in Texas, Selena's memory lives on. This time her legacy is being honored at the McNay.

"It's a dream come true. We chose John Dyer because he is, like Selena, artistic excellence," said Richard Aste, CEO and director of the McNay Art Museum.

The installation will be on view through July 2020. It is presented in conjunction with the upcoming exhibition Fashion Nirvana: Runway to Everyday, opening January 30.