Local artist's works unveiled at NJPAC

Six degrees of Beatles came together on June 11 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark to celebrate the artwork of Howell resident Shannon, who was officially deemed "The World's Greatest Beatles Artist" by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, England, in 1997.

Artist Shannon, known for her paintings depicting the Beatles, is greeted by promoter Sid Bernstein at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center during an unveiling of her work. NJPAC was buzzing as the invitationonly crowd of hundreds gathered to witness the unveiling of eight works of art by Shannon. The eight paintings on display at NJPAC are replicas of the eight paintings Shannon created that now adorn the outside of the Hard Days Night Hotel in Liverpool.

Shannon was commissioned to create all of the artwork in the 110 Beatles-themed rooms and suites in the Hard Days Night Hotel, which opened in February 2008. All of her paintings had to be original compositions, not copies, of Beatles pieces already done. She used photos, research and her imagination to complete the project.

The June 11 reception in Newark marked the debut of Shannon's Beatles artwork in the United States.

At the reception, the giclée replicas of Shannon's own works of art were ceremonially unveiled by honored guests, many of whom have some past connection to the Beatles.

The list of those who participated in the ceremony included May Pang, John Lennon's girlfriend and author of the new book "Instamatic Karma"; and Sid Bernstein, legendary music producer and promoter who was responsible for bringing the Beatles to America and organizing the band's concert at Shea Stadium.

Also, Dennis Ferrante, Grammy awardwinning recording engineer who worked on many of Lennon's albums; Dennis Diken, the drummer for The Smithereens, who recently released "Meet The Smithereens!" a tribute to the Beatles' first American LP; Mark Weiss, photographer of many rock musicians and owner of Weissguy gallery; and Shaun Weiss, reportedly the only living person on record to have attended the Beatles' first live appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," their first Shea Stadium concert and their rooftop concert in addition to being an assistant to the Fab Four in London from 1969 to 1970.

Also, Nadia Mierau, international giclée artist from Russia, and Kim Evanoff, a contest winner from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Tom Scuccimarra was the master of cer- emonies for the event.

Shannon gave demonstrations of the painting technique she uses prior to and during the intermission of all four musical performances of "Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles," which was performed throughout that same weekend at NJPAC.

A collection of Shannon's artwork, including the eight replicas unveiled, was available for viewing in NJPAC's lobby throughout the weekend.

Shannon has also completed paintings of Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball, and many other celebrities. Some of her other artistic endeavors include designing movie posters and working with Sylvester Stallone to create the artwork for a series of European "Rocky" postage stamps. She is also responsible for designing the European James Dean, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali and Princess Diana stamps, in addition to many others.

Shannon has also produced a line of collectible miniature motorcycles with cartoon production firm King Features, "Phantasy Choppers."

Shannon's future plans include collaborations with the rock band Cheap Trick, various appearances of her artwork in commercials and media publications, and the release of her book, "A Hard Decade's Night" about her work with the Hard Day's Night Hotel. The book release will be followed by an extensive promotional tour in 2010.

For more information about Shannon and to purchase her prints, visit www.The- ShannonGallery.com or email info@The- ShannonGallery.com.