kay fin bermender

blending imagery, words, and community

 

about

Profession photographer, writer and educator. Owner at maginei, focusing on fine art photo montage, editorial, and commercial photography, teaching and writing. Over 20 years experience creating unique and dynamic custom imagery for Bay area companies.  Extensive experience working with art directors, stylists and brand guidelines. Have taught photography, writing and marketing classes for over 25 years. Currently teach poetry, photography, and art journaling at Cabrillo College Extension, founded InterAct, a popular community poetry open mic, and teach poetry in local jails and Juvenile Hall. They previously taught junior college poetry at the New School of Dawson College.

photography experience

2005 – Present
maginei photography
Owner, Santa Cruz, CA
  • Gallery exhibitions of fine art montage work across USA; Finalist, Communication Arts magazine, 2021   
  • Exhibited in th International Museum of Women 
  • Publications include cover shot, Practical Ecommerce and multiple editions of CIO Digest and SMB magazines
  • Event, product and editorial photographer for many Bay area tech companies, with outstanding customer reviews

teaching experience

2026 – Present
Santa Cruz Juvenile Hall, Santa Cruz, CA
Teaching Poet

2023 – Present

Poetry in the Jails, Santa Cruz Poetry Project, Santa Cruz, CA

Teaching Poet, Blaine St. Jail

2020 – Present
Cabrillo College Extension, Teacher, Santa Cruz, CA
Teach highly interactive photography, poetry and art journaling workshops; on location and in classroom

2013-2018
Symantec Corporation, Instructor, Mountain View, CA
Led marketing and customer experience and design workshops, writing workshops

1988-1989
Dawson College, New School
Taught poetry at junior college

 

exhibitions

2024-2025   The Nook, Santa Cruz, CA (solo) 
2023    Signs and Symbols
2022    Magix (group, juried) 
2022    Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA (group, juried) 
2021    Communications Arts Photography (finalist, juried)
2020    PhotoAlliance, Current(ly) Bay Area (group , juried)
2020    PhotoPlace Gallery, Constructed Reality, Middlebury, VT (group , juried)
2020    Academy of Art University Show, San Francisco, CA (juried)
2007    Bay Photo, Capitola, CA (solo)
2006    International Museum of Women, Imagining Ourselves (group, juried)
2006    Bay Photo, Santa Cruz, CA (solo)
2005    Chill Out Cafe, Santa Cruz, CA (solo)
2005    Bathori Salon, Capitola, CA (solo)

publications and press

Poetry
Winter In America (Still, 2026
Red Wheelbarrow, 2025
Porter Gulch Review, 2024
JournalX 2024

Photograpy
Porter Gulch Review, 2025, 2026
Winter In America (Still, 2026
JournalX 2024
"A Dream Reimagined," ArtU News cover article, Feb 2021
CIO Digest magazine, regular contributor, 2010-2012
SMB magazine, regular contributor, 2010-2012
Ride A Wave Live and Love It Up, Film,  photo stills, 2012 
Rice University Alumni magazine, 2007
Practical Ecommerce magazine, cover, Mar 2006 
Reflections of the Santa Cruz Harbor, Book, photo credits, 2005

representative clients

Crystal Cruises
Enkata Technologies
Hyperion Solutions
Lyris Technologies
Palo Alto Networks
Platform Computing
Rice University
Ride A Wave Foundation
Star Analytics
Symantec Corp
Synergy Clothing

education

Academy of Art University
MA, Photography
San Francisco, CA

Concordia University
BA, Creative Writing
Montreal, Quebec, Canada