Meet Your Neighbor: Jen Norris

Four Decades in Bernal, and Still Going

Nov 10, 2026

On a clear morning in Bernal Heights, you might spot Jen Norris studying the light on a hillside street and working out how to express it in watercolor.

It’s a fitting picture for someone who once thought about light for a living. Jen started on the lighting design staff at the opera company in 1988, then went on to manage the War Memorial Performing Arts Center for the city. Since retiring in 2022 she has become a dance critic, a plein air painter, an avid birder, and a torn paper collage artist, all from the neighborhood she has called home since 1989.

Nearly 40 Years in Bernal

Bernal is where Jen’s family story unfolded. She met her partner through mutual friends, and she is proud that they married in 2008. They became parents and raised their daughter in Bernal Heights, where she attended local public schools.

Our conversation wandered happily through Bernal history: restaurants that have come and gone, the neighborhood’s strong tradition of political engagement, and the way local businesses have evolved over the years. Jen has been part of community life along the way, participating in art shows, dancing at the Rec Center with Rhythm and Motion and supporting Bernal Library initiatives.

Of all the restaurants that have come and gone, the one Jen misses most is Liberty Cafe. She feels it helped transition the Cortland corridor into what it has become today.

Another loss she counts is Red Hill Books, the woman-owned independent bookstore on Cortland. In November 2012 the store announced that it could no longer sustain a full general-interest bookstore and planned to close that format at the end of the year.

Lighting the Stage, Then Running It

Jen’s working life began backstage. She started on the lighting design staff at the opera company. After 8 seasons, she moved into venue management at the War Memorial Performing Arts Center. In that role she booked the Opera House, Symphony Hall and Herbst Theater, participated in the renovation of the Veterans Building, and handled high-profile events, all with an eye toward maximizing access to the world-class and historic venues for presenters and patrons alike.

While interacting with visiting artists like Tracy Chapman Diana Krall or Ellen DeGeneres is part of the job, Jen assures me it isn’t as glamourous as it sounds. At the big galas she may be in a ballgown but it is one selected for its comfort and ease of movement, as the landlord’s representative clean, safe and operational are always her goals. Walking throughout the event she is on the lookout for tripping hazards, overfull waste containers, and patrons who may need extra assistance.

After more than a quarter century at the War Memorial, Jen finished her venue management career with a brief stint as the Facilities Director at the Salesforce Transit Center and Park, and retired in 2022.

A Second Act Writing About Dance

Retirement did not slow her down for long. Jen soon found herself inspired by a dance performance and encouraged by a Chronicle reviewer to try writing about it. She learned the craft the practical way: a mentor read her early reviews, helped her sharpen her technique and stay consistent in tense, and after about a week told her she had everything she needed to carry on alone.

She launched a website, Jen Norris Dance Reviews, and came to appreciate what timely feedback means to both artists and audiences, especially for the contemporary dance companies she favors.. She hopes that her reviews help demystify modern dance, encouraging viewers to embrace a bit of uncertainty and craft their own narratives around abstract dance forms if they are so inclined.

Jen attends 3 to 4 live performances events each week and find Bernal is the perfect place for a theater lover. She likes to walk to Dance Mission, ODC Theater, and Z Space and uses transit to access Berkeley venues.

Paint, Paper and the Plaza

That same summer Jen took a plein air painting class at the Sierra Nevada Field Campus, and she has not put the brushes down since. She now works in watercolor and torn paper collage, and she regularly makes and sells her art at local Bernal pop-up events.