EASTHAMPTON – While growing up in Detroit, Julie Rosier got an early start as an arts booster.
For her part in a youth theater company’s take on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” when she was in eighth grade, Rosier took on the role of actress – and producer.
“I was walking the streets of Detroit asking businesses for donations for the show,” she said.
Since then, Rosier, 35, has expanded her reach in art-making and production in the Motor City and beyond. She is the founder of Red Thread Theater, a company that has produced ensemble autobiographical shows in Detroit and New York City. She also has acted in and produced other plays.
And since last week, she has worked as the new Easthampton City Arts+ coordinator, in charge of leading the effort to organize events and promote the development of the arts in Easthampton.
“I’m just thrilled with the people I’m meeting,” she said. “In particular, the commitment of the volunteers is unique to this place.”
The Easthampton resident said her goal is to contribute to building connections in the city.
Rosier succeeds Burns Maxey, who held the position for five years. Maxey resigned in April to take a job at New England Public Radio.
Rosier said she began to take note of the hard work that Maxey had put in soon after she moved to Easthampton in August.
“I saw the work that she was doing and was totally impressed be her and knew I wanted to be part of that effort eventually,” Rosier said.
Rosier graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in history and Spanish. Though she had positive experiences acting as a youngster, she said she was scared about pouring her all into a career in the arts.
“I was so scared to follow that path,” she said. “I didn’t have a lot of support to think of it as a viable career option.”
She moved to Brooklyn after graduating, where she found work at a community development corporation in East New York. Following an interest that began in Detroit, Rosier said she was curious about the history of racial tensions and the effect dying industry has on poverty.
Feeling compelled to “turn that cycle around,” Rosier decided to apply to an urban planning graduate program at age 24.
It was in the essay-writing process that she said she began to figure out her story – and ultimately decided that grad school wasn’t for her. She realized her passion was building community through the arts.
“I began thinking I’m more interested in building relations through the arts, and yes, the economic impact that could have,” she said.
It was through that realization that Red Thread Theater was born – bringing together underrepresented writer-performers to promote personal growth and community bonding.
Red Thread Theater has held two shows: one in Detroit in 2008 and another in New York City in 2011.
After the New York City run, Rosier left the Big Apple for rural Alaska. There she worked part-time at a newspaper as a writer and did administrative work. She also did her own creative writing.
She moved to western Massachusetts in 2013.
“Western Mass. was a very conscious choice of trying to find a middle ground of something that had cultural vibrancy and intellectual community … and a slower pace, smaller setting and connection to nature,” she said.
She most recently worked at Hampshire College in Amherst handling the finances for student activities.
During an interview Thursday, Rosier said she was eagerly awaiting the Cultural Chaos festival from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday on Cottage Street.
The event will kick off with an unveiling of Brendan Stecchini’s interactive sculpture on the Promenade Park boardwalk.
The stainless steel sculpture, “Center of the Universe” features meagaphones and a solar compass.
Cottage Street will be shut down to traffic from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Police have advised motorists to seek alternate routes.
Chris Lindahl can be reached at clindahl@gazettenet.com.