Shannon, Beatles artist, creates the lead guitar for GuitarMania® II, Encore in 2004 at Rock Hall, Aug. 6-7, and at Abbey Road, Aug. 8-10.

(Cleveland, Ohio) August 4, 2003
The public is invited to watch world famous Beatles artist Shannon create the artwork for the first 10-foot-tall model of a Fender Stratocaster® guitar for GuitarMania II, Encore in 2004, United Way Services’ public art project in partnership with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. She will be at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on August 6-7 and on August 8-10 at Abbey Road on the River at the Scene Pavilion.

WHO: Shannon, the world-famous Beatles artist
Shannon, whose guitar The Shannon Strat was a hit of GuitarMania, United Way Services’ public art project of 2002 in partnership with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, will be in Cleveland from August 6 - 10 to create on a 10-foot palette the first guitar for GuitarMania II, Encore in 2004.

WHEN/WHERE: August 6 through 7, 2003
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Shannon will be in the window of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum creating her Beatles-theme guitar. She will continue working until late evening.

August 8 through 10, 2003
Abbey Road on the River
Scene Pavilion on the West Bank of the Cuyahoga
Shannon will continue her artistry at the Abbey Road on the River presentation at the Scene Pavilion. Her guitar will be among the more than 100 sculptured fiberglass model guitars that will be on display throughout Greater Cleveland during the summer of 2004 and auctioned off that fall.

WHAT: Introduction of GuitarMania® II, Encore in 2004
The foremost Beatles artist begins the return of GuitarMania, the highly successful community art project driven by United Way Services in partnership with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. The project, which generated more than $1 million in 2002 to benefit Greater Clevelanders, will be on the streets of Cleveland the summer of 2004, with the final auction on November 6, 2004 at the Rock Hall. Interested sponsors many contact Dave Shriber at (216) 436-2247 or dshriber@uws.org.

WHY: Benefit United Way Services and the Rock Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s education fund
Proceeds will benefit two major Cleveland organizations:

United Way Services, which helps 400,000 Greater Clevelanders annually with 185 programs through nearly 130 partner agencies and strives to initiate long-term improvements to the overall quality of life for the community.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, which pays tribute to Cleveland’s great heritage as the home of Rock and Roll and provides, through its education fund, education and understanding to people of all ages from all around the world concerning this musical genre.

Meet Shannon
Shannon has been drawing the Beatles since she was four years old. Her GuitarMania donation, The Shannon Strat, featured the famous four on the front of the guitar in black and white as they were in 1965 and in color on the back as they appeared in 1969. Tony Perkins, of ABC’s Good Morning America, featured Shannon’s guitar as his “favorite guitar.” Perkins is doing the forward for Shannon’s first coffee table book titled Shannon: The Book, The Art, The Beatles. She was commissioned to create 120 10’ by 10’ murals for “A Hard Day’s Night” Hotel in Liverpool, England. One of the murals was unveiled during Abbey Road on the River in August of 2002. The artist also created images for postage stamps of Elvis Presley, James Dean, Jackie Kennedy, Mohammed Ali and Princess Diana. She has created images for both a postage stamp and movie posters for Sylvester Stallone. Shannon’s signature work appears so lifelike that it seems like a photograph. For this reason, she enjoys having the public watch as she creates her works of art. “It helps illuminate that question I hear over and over, ‘Is this really painted?’” she said. “I love having people there, gazing, smiling and keeping that spark inside me bright. They are all part of the big picture.”