SOVRN.NTH hosted a night of music, arts, and community on a recent January night headlined by Bellingham’s own Veronica North, with Anna Justen and Collins Beach also performing. But making the evening even more special was local artist Sierra James offering her work for sale as well as finishing one of her paintings live as the music played. Proceeds from the evening went to support the efforts of the Northwest Skate Collective to construct a skate park in partnership with the City of Bellingham. But there were so many special moments one could say the night produced magic as well.
SOVRN.NTH (Sovereign North), through its production arm, Sovereign Soirées, hosts events in Whatcom County (of which Bellingham is the seat) that highlight live music, visual art, and community in support of regional nonprofit organizations and local projects. Sovereign Soirées’ first event in Bellingham aimed to benefit the Northwest Skate Collective, a local nonprofit working to build a waterfront skatepark. The City has already committed $1.95 million toward the project’s $3 million goal. Additional events and community fundraising should make up the difference with construction to begin in 2027.
Sierra James, founder of SieArts, worked throughout the evening on Jan. 31, applying finishing touches to a gorgeously fiery portrait as the music played. James, a Bellingham native and Ashoka Fellowship recipient for her community organizing work in Timor-Leste (East Timor), displayed some of SieArts’ work, sale proceeds going to the Northwest Skate Collective.
The music opened with Collins Beach, a band from nearby Anacortes, whose original tunes gave flight to an already soaring evening. Its high energy power pop, drawing on influences from U2 to The Killers, opened the musical portion of the show with “Walk These Streets,” immediately commanding the audience’s attention.
Listen to Collins Beach perform “Walk These Streets” live on YouTube:
Next up was electronica-folk artist Anna Justen. Justen hails from Montreal and Seattle, her unique approach blending unlikely influences from Gary Numan to Joni Michell into bracing and distortion-heavy songs. Appearing with musical partners, Justin Hardin on electronics and Ethan Moll running sound, she wove polyrhythmic textured melodies ranging from industrial to mellow singer-songwriter folk rock.
Watch the official music video for Anna Justen’s “Cutting Board” on YouTube:
The evening’s headliner, Veronica North (reviewed last year by Parklife DC) took the stage with a stripped-down band, Andy Klassen on guitar and Nathan Ford on drums, to her usual adoring Bellingham audience. Running through a set consisting of originals and covers (Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” was exceptionally invigorating), she capped off an extraordinary evening of collaboration, fellowship, and fun, at one point announcing the winner of a skateboard raffle. For one girl who had chosen to celebrate her birthday at The Blue Room the evening was particularly special. Veronica led the crowd in wishing and singing her “Happy Birthday,” providing a special memory for her and all the assembled well-wishers.
Several years ago, Parklife DC covered HERAFest, a Washington, DC event sponsored by Project HERA supporting women in the arts and more broadly, to help build a society where artists of all genders and backgrounds create, learn, and share, succeeding both commercially and artistically. And therein may lie the true value of Bellingham’s first SOVRN.NTH Session. In addition to its stated goals, giving exposure to local artists (visual and musical), partnering with local venues, and bringing together a diverse, unique community, young people (especially girls) see artists with whom they can identify working toward and achieving their dreams. As North said, when she was young, attending a Hillary Duff concert played no small part inspiring her own artistic drive. Perhaps the young people in attendance at the Blue Room will be similarly inspired to become singers, painters, or even professional skaters, someday creating their own artistic magic.
To learn more about SOVRN.NTH and Sovereign Soirées, please visit its website.
Here are some more photos of the artists participating in SOVRN.NTH Session 1 at Bellingham’s Blue Room on Jan. 31, 2026. All photos courtesy of and copyright Mark Caicedo.
