Daniel and Marcia Minter:
Artist and Creative Director

Daniel and Marcia Minter moved to Portland from Chicago in 2003 with their son, now twelve. Marcia, who has a long history in advertising, graphic design, and art direction, was recruited by a headhunter to consider working in her current role, Vice President Creative Director at LL Bean. While she was interested in LL Bean as a brand and the creative opportunities the position offered, Marcia had serious reservations about moving to a place where their son would “potentially see very few people who look like him.”  Daniel, an artist, illustrator, and painter, was dead-set against the idea of moving to Maine, but his feelings changed when they visited Portland. He says, “It was a definite yes. We didn’t make a list, but there were enough things checked off to make it an easy decision.”

Though a “big city girl at heart,” Marcia loves the proximity to the ocean, while Daniel, who grew up in a small town, loves the close-knit community and small-town feel. The couple has lived many places, but Marcia says that for the first time in their marriage, they can both “be happy here together and enjoy the place without feeling like, ‘Ugh, you brought me here’ or ‘Ugh, I have to endure this.’” She laughs, “That’s been a good stress off our marriage.” Marcia has one bit of advice for transplants: “If you’re relocating from a place like Chicago or New York or another big city, I would say definitely start in Portland as a place to live because I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the possibilities.”

See Daniel’s work on his website or peruse the LL Bean website, which is under Marcia’s creative direction.