About Someday Never Comes

Kai Conragan

I grew up along the coast of Northern California in Half Moon Bay, a small fishing town about 20 miles south of San Francisco. At the age of 12 I was bitten bad by the surfing bug - which I outright blame my Dad for - and spent the years since in constant pursuit of waves.

I graduated from Half Moon Bay High School in 1997, at which time I attended Foothill College on a partial academic scholarship. At this time I began experimenting with computer graphics, as well as getting my feet wet in web development. I managed to score a couple excellent jobs in college, working as a contractor for the Interactive Media department at Oracle and later as a web designer with Network Associates. After two years at Foothill I transferred to San Francisco State University and graduated valedictorian in 2002 with a B.A. in Industrial Design with an emphasis in Graphic Design.

Throughout college I tinkered with an interest in photography. I got some lucky breaks while photographing a big wave called Mavericks, and gained some early exposure as a sports and documentary photographer. I've had my photos published both nationally and internationally in publications including Surfing Magazine, The Surfer's Journal, U.S.A. Today, The San Francisco Chronicle, Transworld Media, and more.

Upon graduation of college, I joined several partners in founding a design studio which ultimately became Crux Studio. There I helped manage and run the company, leading the interactive media projects as well as acting as co-art director on print projects. I also acted as the in-house photographer and photo-compositer. After 4 challenging yet very satisfying years I stepped down in good standing in my role as partner to pursue what you are viewing now.

Julie Brookman

I had an idyllic childhood growing up among the oak trees and country roads of pre-Silicon Valley Woodside, which was then a small community of horse enthusiasts and ranchers. I rode my first horse (and namesake) at 8 days old and I fondly recall long, hot summer days riding my horse through the fields and then to the local store for treats- usually free smoked salmon from the local butcher. I went on to ride horses competitively in 3-Day Eventing. When I was young my grandparents took my family and I on a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. The experience made me aware of a much larger world and fueled a desire to get out and see more of it.

After graduating from Menlo High School I had a brief college stint in Colorado before realizing I'm a California girl at heart, at which time I returned home and attended Foothill College. After finishing some of my general education units, I transferred to San Francisco State University, from which I graduated with a B.A. in Fine Art with an emphasis in Photography. In college I also blew glass - I loved the heat, intensity and chaotic nature of the medium - and began experimenting in mixed media, combining glass sculpture and photography. From this experimentation I produced several art pieces that won first place in juried art shows, as well as participated in several international art shows including a commissioned glass piece for Adidas.

After college I worked in various jobs, from a very high-end jewelry store to an assistant for a civil rights attorney to a wedding photographer . My last job was working as a creative manager for a startup identity theft company. Throughout this time I continued to focus on my artwork, holding numerous art shows in Santa Cruz, Silicon Valley, and San Francisco. My artwork of late has been photographs of urban landscapes that have been deconstructed and then reassembled, after which they are printed directly onto aluminum- continuing my experimentation in mixed media. My work is currently on display at the Galleria Tempest in Sacramento.