The Wittliff Collections is commemorating the life and legacy of Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla Perez in a most special way during the entire month of March 2026. The Wittliff is inviting Texas State University students, faculty and staff, as well as campus visitors, to leave flowers and notes inside the gallery at the foot of the breathtaking ofrenda art installation by artist David Zamora Casas in “The Selena Effect” exhibition.
The goal is to fill the gallery with flowers, culminating in an afternoon discussion with artists Marc Burckhardt and Sara Hickman and photographer Al Rendon on March 31st. Burckhardt’s award-winning paintings and commissions have been exhibited around the world. His iconic, saintly painting of Selena was used for the famous cover of Texas Monthly in April 2015. Acclaimed singer-songwriter Sara Hickman is a cherished member of the Texas music community who also studied painting in college. Her original drawing of Selena created for her “Texas Musicians Coloring Book” series is on display in “The Selena Effect.” Rendon is a renown photographer who has documented Mexican American life in San Antonio for half a century and whose work is part of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution. He photographed Selena during her rise to fame, including for her Coca-Cola commercials.
Music curator Hector Saldana will moderate the conversation and Q&A focusing on Selena’s enduring inspiration for artists and her growing pop culture appeal.
This project is in conjunction with Humanities Texas and is a By the People project.
By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils across the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia in collaboration with local partners. Together, these programs explore 250 years of the nation's cultural life and imagine its shared future. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage as a complement to the 2026 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
When: 2-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Where: The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University
What: Conversation with Marc Burckhardt, Sara Hickman and Al Rendon
Admission: Free
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