BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Subdued Stringband Jamboree co-Maestro Maureen Sullivan is an artist with a reputation for being a goofball. Her friends and colleagues know she’s down for any creative endeavor like acting, improv, set design, painting, chandelier manufacturing and even campaign management.
That’s why she took up the offer from a friend of a friend to work in the art department of a storied Whatcom County music festival.
Subdued Stringband Jamboree is a local tradition of nearly 25 years. Every August, people gather at the Deming Log Show Fairgrounds to camp out and watch a variety of live acts perform on uniquely decorated stages.
Having lived in Spokane during the pandemic, Sullivan thought she would never move back to Washington. She grew up on the East Coast, specifically in D.C. and Baltimore. She lived in New York City up until this past November and was getting flown out in the summer to work on the Jamboree. She says that the work culture is different there and that there’s a general desperation to look good, like you are working as hard as you can.
“I feel like, being an artist, you have to learn how to do a bunch of different things because people are always questioning your worth,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said at the Jamboree, people value her skills and adaptability. As co-Maestro, she organizes the people, delegates tasks to volunteers and makes sure people get fed before they hit their workstations.
Her co-Maestro, Ani Banani, has been working for the Jamboree almost twice as long and considers Maureen to be one of her best friends. The pair collaborate on the designs for the two main stages, referred to as the “Flat Stage” and the “Slanted Stage.”
Banani describes herself as more rigid, due to her role as the creator and maintainer of the Jamboree brand. She says Maureen loves to throw her creative curveballs.
“She is like the court jester of every space she goes into,” Banani said. “That’s kind of how she moves through the world.”
Pre-production for the Jamboree always starts at least a month in advance. Sets need to be built, costumes and materials sourced and sewn. This year, the crew is working with a lot of recycled aluminum cans.
Usually, pieces of the puzzle are scattered across various backyards and garages, but this year, the décor team has access to a Paper Whale warehouse to work in.
The space is latticed with strings of fabric in lush blue and purple hues. On a work party day, you can expect to see anywhere from three to a dozen people toiling away at different stations, cutting up cans and rifling through bins of textiles.
Both Banani and Sullivan cite the community work environment as the primary draw for returning to work at the Jamboree every year.
“It makes a lot of people happy, and at the end of the day, I feel rewarded making a fun time for a bunch of people,” Sullivan said.
The festival runs from Aug. 7-9. People often camp out for the whole weekend, and Sullivan says there are activities all day and through the night for every kind of person.
One of those activities includes a serenade tent, designed to emulate the cozy atmosphere of your grandma’s living room, but in the middle of a field.
“The music, for me, is a little tangential,” Sullivan said. “It’s a fun little village to hang out at, and then if you get too hot during the day, you can go and swim in the Nooksack.”
Sullivan said there are pockets of music everywhere, with dance parties and someone serving curly fries all night.
For a lot of people, she said, it’s a kind of “coming home” experience. The Jamboree is a space where people can set aside their everyday responsibilities and enjoy good music and good company.
“If you’re gonna do anything with your life, I would say, just like, do something that doesn’t make you feel so shitty all the time,” Sullivan said.
We are Whatcom is a weekly column featuring Whatcom County residents making a positive impact on the community. To submit a Whatcom County resident to be featured, click here.
