This week JustArts sat down with Jennifer Yee, who was hired as patron services coordinator at the Rose Art Museum at the beginning of this year.

JustArts: Could you tell us a little about what you did before this position and what your new job entails here at the Rose?

Jennifer Yee: I've had a varied background that actually prepared me pretty well for this position. A lot of what could be considered unrelated skill sets came together here. Twenty to 22 years ago ... I was here actually as a Brandeis police officer ... I worked with [Director of Public Saftey] Ed Callahan and a lot of veterans that are still here, at that time, I'd say half of whom I recognized when I came back here. After that I married [and then] I worked a lot of catering events, the retail sector, visitor services and I developed quite an art bend during that time.

I had always had it but I took actual drawing classes ... So when I came back here [in 2007] I thought 'what next?' and that's when a position called patron services came up and I thought 'what is patron services?' Well a lot of it is front of the house activities ... I am sort of the face of the administration that deals directly with patrons. I do whatever is needed to help plan logistics, help coordinate events, help with security in terms of crowd control and safe passage when people initiate any events here at the Rose and also in training the student gallery guards.

JA: What would you say is the most difficult part of your job?

JY: I wouldn't even call it difficult. I would call it challenging because there are many different aspects to the job so maybe the best answer to that question is deciding which hat to put on for that day-am I going to be doing visitor services? Am I going to focus on the security aspect, or am I going to focus on the day-to-day needs of a work order that needs to be put in?

JA: Was the SCRAM Jam a difficult event to deal with being in your position? Can you tell me a little about how you handled the security at that event?

JY: It's always a challenge. I was actually pleased and surprised when I compared it to last year's figures and the year before. ... We topped out at 707 people [this year]. So I'm almost glad I didn't know that before the night went off. But so yes it's a challenge, and you have to weigh that though against wanting people to enjoy themselves and striking that balance. While I'm observing, say, the numbers [of people] that are allowed by fire code or by what's allowed in terms of agreements with art pieces that are on loan ... But I felt it was very successful. I was very proud of everybody-SCRAM, all the students, how they handled themselves because it was such a large number. And the feedback I got from that event was just incredible.

JA: How will you deal with security and safety of the new installation, "Light of Reason," especially since it is an outdoor piece?

JY: We have talked about that. In fact that's in the process right now. We are trying to determine what, if any specific issues are needed as far as lighting or as far as camera work or as far as just keeping an eye on the installation piece. We actually are developing protocol as we speak because we are actually beginning the whole process of defining all the terms of the installation.

JA: I had heard some rumors that you worked with magic and illusions. Can you tell us a little about that hobby?

JY: That actually began back in the late '90s when I was taking classes to entertain my children and it kind of grew into performing for their class and their school and then later other schools. We [my husband and I] began collecting ... these large-scale illusions that we could work into our routine called "The Magic of Chinese New Year." And that's how it started ... It's our avocation, not our vocation but we do work under [the name of] Yee Magic ... It started as an interest and as it turned out there was a rumor in the family that I was related to a mystic medium ... and it turned out that she was friends with Houdini-unusual because Houdini did not like mediums but they had an unusual respect for each other because she entertained and she kept it on an entertainment level ... And the rest as they say is history.

-Emily Wishingrad