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Above is Leni Sinclair, who will be the special guest for the Starkweather Arts Center's Beatles-themed exhibit. Sinclair is a photojournalist from the Detroit area who has taken photos of influential musicians since the `60s. Below is a 1972 photo she took of John Lennon and Yoko Ono in New York.

(Photo above courtesy of Jerry Lubin)

Beatlemania exhibit to
feature Leni Sinclair

by CHRIS GRAY
Observer Staff Writer

      Groovy man, the Beatles are in town!
       The Starkweather Arts Center's latest exhibit will combine the talents of local artists, musicians, memorabilia and even photography as an homage to one of the most recognized music groups of all time.
       The opening reception of "The Beatles Show!" will be held 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, March 5. The show will run from March 5-20.

Tara Klein, the center's art director, said the show is a nice switch from the typical galleries the center presents since it will explore artwork and music as well as memorabilia honoring Beatlemania.
       "It's going to be a great atmosphere, it won't be about one thing over another, we've got everything tied in," she said. "We're just going to have a good time, listen to music and see some great art."
       A call was put out to artists to create artwork from any medium to contribute to the show. So far, this has ranged from paintings featuring lyrics to psychedelic stained glass.
       "It's interesting to see what people have come up with for the concept," said Klein.
       The opening reception will feature special guest Leni Sinclair, a Detroit photojournalist who has snapped pictures of famous and influential artists since the 1960s, such as John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
       Klein said she will be on hand to not only show her photography, but to recount her experiences.
       "I'm excited, I've been a fan of her work for a while now, and it ties in together with our theme really well," she said. "I hope people will come and check her stuff out, it really is something to behold."
       Sinclair said she has been taking pictures since she received her first camera, shortly before escaping from East Germany in 1958, and has had a camera ever since.
       "I wanted to document my life in the western world," she said.
       She began taking pictures of musicians after meeting her husband, John Sinclair, whose arrest for possession of marijuana inspired the "Free John Now Rally" at Ann Arbor in December 1971.
       Amongst the many famous musicians, Lennon performed at the event, prompting Sinclair to snap one of her two photos of him. She had a chance to take more when she met Lennon on numerous occasions, but didn't want to stick her camera in his face.
       "I didn't want to be looked at as a groupie and going ga-ga over him," she said. "There are a lot of things I regret, but at the time I wasn't thinking of myself as a photographer. I still don't, I'm just at the right place at the right time."
       She said she is looking forward to coming to Romeo, and is more than willing to share her stories.
       "Don't get me to talking, people will ask me anything and I'll ramble on for hours," she said with a laugh. "It'll be fun, it sounds like it'll be a very interesting event."
       Of course, a show about one of the most influential bands in history wouldn't be complete without music. Musician Jere Stormer will be on hand to cover some Beatles songs during the opening reception as well as some of his own tunes.
       The reception and gallery will be free to the public. For more information, call (586) 752-5700 or go online to www.starkweatherarts.com

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