Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Rucker.
Sarah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in a family that prioritized the arts and supported any creative endeavors that we pursued. My art of choice happened to be dance, from the age of three. Looking back, my grandfather’s career inspired me to go down the road of arts programming, as he was the manager of the State Fair of Texas for many years. Also, key to the beginning of my professional career was the fact that as I was majoring in dance at UT, I took a detour into the music business. I sold merch and posted show posters for Bob Schneider and others and eventually met club owner Clifford Antone, who became my close friend and mentor. It was working with Clifford that showed me that events and concerts were a way to connect with communities and make a difference in the performer’s and audience members’ lives. I worked closely with Clifford until his death in 2006 and went on to work in the nonprofit sector of the arts for over eight years.
After many great experiences in nonprofit arts programming and presenting, I decided to start my freelance endeavors in event production in 2014 and officially founded Full Gallop on January 6, 2015, which would’ve been my grandfather’s 100th birthday. The name of my business comes from a family story of how my great-grandfather would find art in anything and that a horse in full gallop would at times bring him to tears. I owe all of my progress and success to my supportive family and friends.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The path of entrepreneurship is definitely not smooth, but I follow my intuition often and lead with compassion, which helps clear my mind to make decisions when obstacles arise. Some of the toughest tasks have been in the details of running a business such as setting boundaries with clients and learning how to value my services.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Full Gallop strives to bridge cultures and connect communities through creative collaborations and programs. I have a personal mission to help increase equity in the arts and in 2018 started the Inclusion Riders Initiative ATX. An inclusion rider is a clause in a contract that states that equity and inclusion be considered in all aspects of that project, including staffing. This was first started on a national scale in the film industry and I’ve strived to promote this practice in the music and other creative sectors of Austin and beyond, working with a lawyer to develop this clause: http://bit.ly/FullGallopEquityClause
My goal in successful event production is to leave the project and venue physically as I found it and artistically in an elevated state. In that, I mean that I prioritize making sure the artists, performers and crew are respected and have a great time sharing art with the public no matter how long the day or how heavy the workload. When the team is having a good time, the audience has a good time. I specialize in full-service event production from conception to completion including helping form the creative vision and goals of the program or event, handling all pre-production arrangements and guiding a smooth execution of all logistics the day of the production. My knowledge of nonprofit and business management combined with years of experience in community engagement gives my clients a well-rounded producer for their events.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I feel like my capacity for empathy and a strong passion for what I do helps me to complete projects successfully and has led to a reputation for producing quality arts programming.
Contact Info:
- Email: sarah@fullgalloparts.com
- Website: fullgalloparts.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/fullgalloparts
- Facebook: facebook.com/fullgalloparts
- Twitter: twitter.com/fullgalloparts
Image Credits
1. Chula League’s Cherrywood Art Fair 2. Texas Folklife’s Big Squeeze Contest 3. Creative Action’s Magic Makers Bash 4. HAAM Benefit Day 5. Private Wedding at Mayfield Park
