In our Staff Spotlight series, we’re pulling back the curtain on the talented artists, artisans, and craftspeople who make up our crew. Our team is a gumbo pot of creativity: painters, sculptors, woodworkers, fiber artists, costume designers, metalsmiths, actors, musicians, and the list goes on. If you can dream it up, chances are we’re already doing it in our free time, too. That’s what makes us so good at our day jobs as custom experiential fabricators.

Each month, we’ll shine a light on one of our team members—their inspirations, their after-hours projects, and the creative spark they bring to both their life and our shop floor. Because behind every masterpiece is a person with a story worth sharing.

This month, we talked our Sales Manager, Sarah Rose Janko.

One of the newest employees at Downtown FabWorks has got a sharp eye for events, a creative streak a mile wide, and a real knack for bringing people together. Oh—and she’s also a Folk musician with a killer tape collection.

But let’s rewind a bit…

From an early age, Sarah Rose was drawn to artistic expression. At five, she turned her bedroom walls into a canvas, drawing freely with permanent ink while her mom chatted in another room with a friend. Upon discovery, instead of delivering a scolding, her mom let the drawings stay. “I knew she’d be an artist,” the friend exclaimed — and they were right.

Sarah Rose’s family encouraged her creativity, and it didn’t take long for her to choose music as the favored direction. She started classical piano at five, got her first guitar at twelve, and wrote her first song as a teenager. It still took her awhile to share her songs publicly; she didn’t start performing live until her twenties.

Since then, she’s released multiple albums under the name Dawn Riding - some solo, and others collaborative. Her music leans into the raw, personal storytelling favored in Folk and Americana tradition, with songs about everyday life and lived experience. But music isn’t just about the sound for Sarah Rose—it’s also about the gathering, the shared moments, and the energetic exchange between artist and audience during a performance.

“The show itself is just as satisfying as writing the song,” she says. “It’s an offering. A way to connect.”

Sarah Rose first visited New Orleans in 2008, and she quickly fell in love with the vibe of the city. She returned to California for a while, working in museums and staying connected to the creative world, but the pull to come back to NOLA never left. In 2021, she finally made it happen, moving here to work with Prospect New Orleans, a citywide art exhibition. She’s been here ever since.

She still plays with her original bandmates in Oakland when she can, but being in a new city has pushed Sarah Rose to grow as a solo performer. She’s gotten to know the local Folk and Americana scene, which it turns out overlaps with the Bay Area scene, providing a warm and supportive place for her to land.

If you’re in the New Orleans area, you’ve probably heard her playing at venues like Saturn Bar, BJs, Chickie Wah Wah, or Deslonde Studios in the Lower 9th. Most recently, she played a benefit for Sanctuary of the South—jumping in just four days before the show, thanks to a strong circle of friends and fellow musicians.

But Sarah Rose’s creativity doesn’t stop with music. She’s also a graphic designer, an event planner, and a concert promoter—skills she’s developed out of necessity as an independent artist. These same abilities make her a natural fit here with us at Downtown FabWorks. She understands what it takes to bring a vision to life, start to finish. Just as importantly, she knows the pressure of making something not only look good, but feel right.

One of Sarah Rose’s favorite memories is the work it took to release her band’s debut album, Last Spring. She designed the entire print layout for the record herself, including hand lettering. And when it came time for the album release concert, she, her bandmates, and the Long Road Society record label set the stage (literally) for the perfect night. The venue was tucked along the Oakland Bay, rain pouring outside, the room packed and buzzing. They brought their own sound system, performed on stage under a custom-fabricated chandelier, and watched as the night unfolded into something unforgettable.

“It felt like a group experience,” she says.

Sarah Rose brings a unique blend of creative perspective and hands-on experience that fits right in with the spirit of our team. Her thoughtful approach and collaborative energy add something special to the work we’re doing together. We’re lucky to have her alongside so many talented folks here at Downtown FabWorks.

Want to learn more? Explore Dawn Riding’s music and find out about upcoming shows here:

🎤 Spotify – Dawn Riding

🎵 Bandcamp – Dawn Riding 

📸 Instagram – @dawnriding

Planning an event and need a team who truly gets it? From big-picture ideas to the little details that make it all work, Sarah Rose and our crew are here to help you build something that feels just right. Let’s connect and get to work. ✨