Fifty-three years ago, McNay Art Museum mounted Michael Tracy’s first-ever museum exhibition, "Seven Gold Paintings," at what was then the Marion Koogler McNay Art Institute. The McNay will honor Tracy’s enduring artistic legacy with "The Elegy of Distance," the last exhibition with which the artist was directly involved before his recent passing at age 80.

The exhibit surveys approximately two decades of Tracy’s career and debuts many never-before-seen paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media objects from the artist’s personal holdings alongside artworks on loan from other collections. Together, the works promote critical thinking, empathy, thoughtful exchange and healing as viewers consider faith, ritual, immigration and the environment.

An original soundscape by musical composer Omar Zubair will complement the works. The exhibition is organized by René Paul Barilleaux, the McNay’s head of curatorial affairs, in collaboration with Christopher Rincón, president of the Michael Tracy Foundation and director of the River Pierce Foundation.