Archive for the ‘Our Artists’ Category

Michele Moore Gustin President
Co- owner and partner

Michele was born in Wheeling West Virginia Jan 1965,  lived with her grandparents on a farm near Jewett Ohio where she learned how to love the land, how the seasons affect it, how to work hard, be amazingly self sufficient, industrious and not to expect much from others. She moved with her mom to Columbus when she was 11 where she learned to be an adult immediately, then to Houston Texas at 13 where she lived briefly but memorably in a tent, learned about drugs, got into quite a bit of trouble, went to the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston and got tethered to herself again and graduated after 3 years with a certificate of studies in the arts from the state of Texas with everything from gesture drawing to welding and jewelry design under her belt.
She attended the Kansas City Art Institute and the Alliance of Independent Colleges of Art NY Studio School, got a BFA in 1987 painting then moved back to Houston and worked for Whole Foods Market, learned about the importance of agricultural methods, herb remedies and proper eating, met James. Painted and did various shows like Houston Area Exhibition. Traveled Europe: London, Italy, Greece for 6 months, fell in love with James.  Married James, moved Whole Foods to Chicago, quit, helped start fig with James,  learned furniture and interior design at Shabby Chic Chicago, moved to Los Angeles to work in Santa Monica with Rachel Ashwell Designs, quit and moved back to Chicago to join fig full time. While working together Michele joined James in learning more about what is currently known as social and emotional intelligence at the Wright Institute where after 8+ years of study she lead groups and instructed others for another 5 years. Michele loves that learning is never done and thinks of her life as her art as she continues to hone systems, look for new ways to streamline fig, make client experiences amazing as the result of the team work at fig.
Michele’s strengths are her conviction, commitment to truth and beauty and her devotion to sharing all she has learned with others. Michele is most proud of her amazing relationship with her husband James and their business that values experience and trains others to live a better life.
Her other talents are healthy delicious cooking, finding amazing things in weird places, seeing what others don’t see, seeing what is possible and making things happen.
Michele oversees fig’s operating systems, is the general in charge of systems, and quality control. Her current projects include learning and redoing the accounting systems at fig; discovering how tempera paint base layers affect her oil paintings; continuing higher level of participation of fig in the global business community.

Megan began her DJ career in 2006 and has become one of Chicago’s hottest DJs. She plays to an array of crowds, and specializes in current music, hip-hop, electro, lounge, and indie rock. Megan frequently plays for the young hip crowds all over Chicago, but can mix it up at other events as well. She has traveled nationally to DJ, is known for her electric rare cuts and vivacious personality. She holds a weekly residency at Vertigo Sky Lounge and Le Bar at the Sofitel. She has been a guest DJ at MCA’s First Friday, hired as a creative producer for fashion shows, and has been commissioned to program store music for several fashion rooms.

Past clients include: Chanel, Vogue, Vera Wang, Ted Baker, Intermix, A’Gaci, Juicy, Bebe, Saks, and Maria Pinto. She is frequently hired by Modern Luxury and Chicago Magazine for Chicago social events.

Some of her signature events include: special private event for Desiree Rogers (former social secretary for President Barack Obama), opening party for the grand Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago, opening for DJ Samantha Ronson, and playing at E! Entertainment Network’s 2011 New Year’s Eve party with Pete Wentz of the band Fall Out Boy.

Favorite Music: Pop, electro, Indie

Favorite Venues: Chicago Illuminating Company, Salvage One, Viceroy Palm Springs, The Elysian, Skylight Studios

E-mail: megan@figgy.net

Facebook: DJ Megan Taylor (link)

Blog: http://megantaylor.tumblr.com/

Twitter: @djmegantaylor

Download Megan’s mixes at: http://soundcloud.com/djmegtaylor

Press:

Above The Fray Magazine: DJ Style with Megan Taylor

AisleDash: “Songs People Love To Dance To Wedding Playlist”

Melissa Martens is a cinematographer and photographer.  She earned her BFA in film and photography from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2004.  A teammate since January 2005, Melissa’s style is classic, emotional and cinematic with a twist of humor. She spends time studying traditions, religions, arts, photography, cultures, comedy and learning about the families she documents. She relishes capturing heartfelt authentic moments and is moved by the idea that her work will live on in families for generations. The best compliment we get on Melissa’s work is that her films and photographs feel like an honest, fun, candid document of the people and events she covers.

She is a 3 time Telly Award winner for directing + cinematography, won the 2011 Iphone Film Festival – Branded Category and teaches iphoneography classes at The Apple Store, North Michigan Ave.

Want to book Melissa for your wedding? Click Book Now on this page and mention you are interested in meeting with Melissa.

Follow @takeupreal   blog @melissamartens.tumblr.com. email @melissa@figgy.net

Film Gallery

Weddings	Maddie + Scott Botanic Garden	Hillary + Nick Trump Hotel	Jeane + James Ritz Carlton
Juneanne + Andrew Marriot Michigan Ave	Patty + Brian Baby Bump	Christine + Jared Baby Bump

Brian has BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He started shooting wedding photography with

fig in 2006, and has fell in love with capturing everything that is involved in a wedding. He has shot weddings and couple’s

engagement photos all over the city of Chicago and it’s suburbs. He has also captured weddings throughout the Mid West.

His work has been highlighted in CS Brides and Be U Weddings.

“My wedding photography is a reflection of the couple’s relationship with each other, and their guests. I ask myself

–what emotions, what moments, would I want to have captured at my own wedding (all of them). I like to get as

close as I can to all the wedding day action. I look for unique lighting, go for creative angles, and time my

shots carefully. I am always looking to advance my style of photography, by capturing images that I will be proud

to add to my portfolio of work.”

Want to book Brian for your wedding? Click the GET A QUOTE button on this page and mention you are interested

in meeting with Brian.

E-mail: brian@figgy.net

Facebook: Brian A Carey

Portfolio

Click on images to view full galleries