Meet our Instructors in the Visual and Performing Arts Department

  • GARY BERGREN - ART

    Acalanes Adult Education

  • LETTIE BURNS - TAP DANCE

    Acalanes Adult Education is pleased to welcome Lettie Burns to our program. "It all started at Mrs. Bonner's dancing school." Born in San Antonio, TX, her training includes study at professional studios in Texas as well as New York and San Francisco. She combined her dancing with a career in the fashion world. A professional model at 19, she has worked throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. She has had many years' experience as a teacher - of modeling as well as dance. She has written, choreographed, and performed in many shows, including "Be a Performer" and "Performers on Tour."

  • BILL HELSEL - PHOTOGRAPHY

    Bill Helsel earned his college degrees in architecture and urban planning, but was always interested in art and fell in love with photography along the way. This led Bill to launch a long career as a free-lance photographer, specializing in architecture and travel, plus a bit of everything from weddings to wildlife. His work has been represented by three major stock photo agencies and has appeared in hundreds of publications worldwide, including: Audubon, Bay Nature, California Living, California Scenic, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic publications, Ranger Rick, Sierra and Sunset. He was also a contributing editor for Darkroom Photography magazine. Teaching felt like a natural extension of his work. Bill liked sharing what he had learned about both the technical and aesthetic sides of photography and put a lot of thought into how best to clearly communicate it while also making it fun. He began teaching at Acalanes Adult Education Center in 1980, and has since also taught through Walnut Creek Center for Community Arts, St. Mary's College, the American Institute of Architects, and Pt. Reyes Field Institute. Bill likes encouraging students to try things they have not done before, both in subject-matter and location, and ways of recording their images. Many students have taken multiple classes with him, and, in 2014, Bill received a California Council on Adult Education award for excellence in teaching. Bill is now retired from free-lancing and instead concentrating on teaching and his personal fine-art photography. Bill shoots both digital and film, and processes his images in both PhotoShop and an old-fashioned darkroom. He especially loves the unique tonal quality of black and white infrared and shoots a lot of my landscapes that way. Over the last 20 years or so, Bill's work has been shown in many Bay Area solo and group exhibits.

  • LYNNE THORNER - FILM APPRECIATION

    Lynne grew up and attended school in Teaneck, New Jersey, then earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Vermont. Taught classes first in New York City, then New Haven Connecticut, and finally spent 23 years in the English Department at Broward College, an international college in Fort Lauderdale, FL. After retiring from teaching in 2013, she moved from south Florida to northern California in 2014, settling in Rossmoor, Walnut Creek.  Many people really enjoy watching movies! Ah, but most folks are unaware of how or why a film impacts the viewer. Reel to Real Talk explores the creative elements of filmmaking in order to enhance the viewing experience. But the course also promotes meaningful post-viewing discussions. Exchanging ideas and listening to one another becomes the underlying purpose of the course. Clearly, we emphasize elements of cinema art in order to create a "reel" community! Lynne's passion for film has expanded exponentially since moving to Walnut Creek. In addition to teaching 2 classes through Acalanes Continuing Education Program, she regularly volunteers to facilitate film programs and leads lively post-viewing discussions for various Rossmoor Clubs. These include: The Black Lives Matter Committee, The Buddhist Study Group, National Council for Jewish Women, The Women's Collective, The Democratic Club, and RAD (Rossmoor Advocates for Diversity) Reels -- to name a few! Lynne deeply appreciates and feels great gratitude for the many opportunities to present select feature films -- narrative and documentary, domestic and foreign -- that touch the hearts and expand the minds of viewers.

  • SUSAN WARREN - ART

    Susan Warren was a high school art, dance and yoga teacher at Freedom High School in Oakley, CA for 25 years. She earend her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and a single subject teaching credential from CSU Chico in 1995, and mediation certificate from Saint Mary’s College in 2017. She has 30 years of practicing Non-Violent Communication and 40 years of practicing Vipassana meditation. Creativity and resourcefulness are the most valuable and enduring skills a person can learn. Connection is more important than curriculum. Learning should be meaningful and authentic. Take chances. Make mistakes. Get messy. Foster a life-long love of learning. Voted Teacher of the Year at Freedom High School in 1996 (student choice award) and 1999 (district award). 35 years of experience working with non-artists and artists. Susan survived late stage ovarian cancer during a pandemic. She retired in 2020. Susan is now 5 years cancer free. Former single mother of two, now grown men. Grammy to two grandsons. Still dancing tango.

  • MINDY ZUCKERMAN - ART

    Mindy Zuckerman is a theater professional and an abject hobbyist. She has been creating art since she was a teen, including: knitting, making clothing, quilting, mosaic, gourd painting, cake decorating. Is there anything left? Your creativity is wonderful! You can do anything. Mindy has created mosaics for 4 years.