“It is important that artists of color are part of the fabric that makes up our creative community,” says Marcia Minter, the cofounder of Indigo Arts Alliance, a Portland nonprofit dedicated to celebrating Maine-based artists of African descent. Minter has worked with her husband, Daniel, to create a space that brings together artists from diverse backgrounds of the African diaspora to engage in their creative process, participate in arts enrichment programs, and to serve as both mentors and mentees. An integral part of the vision is to provide artists of African descent who reside in Maine access to a broader range of practicing black artists. “I believe that art transforms lives and is one of the best mechanisms for enabling people to connect at a deep level,” she says. Minter has lived in Maine for the past 16 years and is vice president creative director at L.L.Bean. “The definition of who is a Mainer and how long it takes to become one is becoming less rigid,” Minter says. “This opens up space for new people to be seen and new voices to be heard.” Minter also serves as a trustee for the Portland Museum of Art and is on the board at Portland Ovations, Maine Media Workshops and College, and Maine Partners of the Americas. In May, the Maine College of Art granted Minter an honorary doctorate.