Each month, we ask a museum staff member to answer five questions about their position at The Walt Disney Family Museum, their fondest Disney memories, and other personal tidbits. If you live in San Francisco, you might have seen our month's "What Do YOU Do?" subject's work lining the streets, and zooming around on the side of public transportation. So today, we're asking Nancy Yee-Chan... what do YOU do??
What is your title and what do YOU do here at our museum?
I am the Graphic Design Manager and in charge of visual communications at The Walt Disney Family Museum. This encompasses everything from creating advertising campaigns, large scale signage, designing exhibition graphics to picking exhibit wall paint colors. I work with all departments in the museum and oversee all the media and communications that are produced -- making sure that everything has a consistent look and feel to reflect the museum identity. I love my job and I am proud to be part of The Walt Disney Family Museum family.
What is your favorite Gallery at The Walt Disney Family Museum and why?
My fondest Disney memories are my family vacations to Disneyland, which my family would go to every summer like clockwork. I grew up here in the Bay area and we would drive down to Orange County in the family car. It always seemed like the longest trip ever and I'm sure my sister and I drove our parents crazy by constantly asking "Are we there yet?". One year, I remember the temperature was in the high 90's and we were going over the Grapevine and had to open the windows and turn on the heater to prevent the car from overheating. We were all boiling hot and very uncomfortable. The car still overheated and it was torture as it took us even longer to get to Disneyland. We finally made it and once we were in the park, it was totally worth the long hot wait.
How does your job communicate and interpret the legacy of Walt Disney?
It is my job to help visually entice guests to come and experience Walt's legacy and all that we have at the museum. Walt accomplished so much and helped to create such impactful images throughout his career that I am lucky to be blessed with a multitude of wonderful photos and artwork to work with. Much of the art he produced was so forward thinking and ground breaking that it continues to influence people to this day. A big part of my job is to just make sure that everyone knows we are here in the SF Presidio – once people visit, the Museum speaks for itself, not only chronicling Walt's amazing life, but as a cutting edge museum experience.
Describe your workspace OR your favorite item on your desk:
My favorite item on my desk is a stuffed Totoro. My kids and I love the movie My Neighbor Totoro and all the movies from Studio Ghibli. This stuffed Totoro was given to me by a Totoro-loving playwright, Steve Yockey, from my previous job at the Marin Theatre Company. I am very much enamored with Japanese anime and also have an Astro Boy picture up on my wall. The only thing missing, for now, is Godzilla.
Tell us a little known fact about you!
I am a big Sci-Fi fan/nerd – Be it, books, movies or TV shows. When I was little, I thought that by the time I was the age I am now, that we'd be vacationing in space. And here is my big Sci-Fi fan/nerd secret: Years ago, my husband and I went to a Star Trek convention. We watched DeForest Kelley who portrayed Bones from Star Trek, give a lecture. No, we did not dress up! I'm not that nerdy.