Introduction
Stacia in 2016 celebrates her 38th year with The Walt Disney Company.
When asked to describe her job, Stacia Martin is likely to smile and reply, “How much time do you have?”
Stacia, who in 2016 celebrates her 38th year with The Walt Disney Company, is based out of Disneyland in California, but spends much of her time on special projects for diverse Disney groups including Walt Disney World, Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Consumer Products, Walt Disney Records, Disney Destinations, Disney Cruise Line, The Walt Disney Archives, the Disney Legends program, D23, Disney Interactive, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Disney Entertainment Productions and the ABC Cable Networks Group.
An early predilection for art led Stacia to focus her professional goals at age seven during a third grade “career day.” Self-trained “with refinements” (Illustration Studies at California State University), Stacia began her Disney job a week and a day after her high school graduation.
At first, it was not strictly art or the tricky “quick sketch” skills that occupied her time; as an avid Disney fan and collector, Stacia first found her niche in the original Disneyana Shop on Main Street in Disneyland. There, and later when opening The Disney Gallery in New Orleans Square, she enjoyed spending time with Park Guests whose specialized questions were well met by her knowledge of Disney lore. Today Stacia continues to share this history as a writer, creating and presenting illustrated lectures, and with appearances in Disney video documentaries.
Alongside art assignments, Stacia has enjoyed an array of duties: being an “Audio Art Director” for Walt Disney Imagineering’s New Fantasyland attractions at Disneyland, an “Audio Archeologist” for the innovative Disneyland Forever digital system, and spearheading the restoration of one of her favorite films, Walt Disney’s 1967 musical The Happiest Millionaire.
Since 1985, Stacia has traveled extensively for Disney. In 2001 she opened the preview center for Hong Kong Disneyland, and exotic locales such as Australia, Indonesia, Scotland and Singapore have shared her calendar with trips throughout the USA.
Recent assignments have continued in their variety: illustrating books, designing collectibles, creating specialty art, and enjoying a multimedia presence across radio, television and podcasts. Favorite writing projects include The Sounds of Disneyland, the elegant book accompanying Walt Disney Records’ 50th Anniversary CD box set A Musical History of Disneyland, and Walt Disney and the 1964 World’s Fair, included in a 5 CD celebration one of the most innovative periods in Disney history. Stacia was also tapped to write the historic liner notes for The Walt Disney Legacy Collection’s 2015 CD release honoring the 60th anniversary of Disneyland.
Stacia says that some of her favorite moments are the simplest ones… particularly the time spent drawing for children. “To watch a child’s face light up when three circles suddenly become Mickey Mouse before their eyes, and then to show them that this is something they can learn to do, too–their reactions, to me, are the true definition of Disney’s magic.”
She is particularly proud to have been named to the inaugural “classes” of both Walt Disney Legacy and Disney “Archives Angels” award recipients. “Being able to carry on the legacy of Walt Disney and his original staff…to create images for people that will mean as much to them as their predecessors have to me…it’s not a job, it’s a privilege.”