Canada's Progressive Fine Art strives for dynamism: President Michael Havers' passion for art business is fueled by his appreciation for "raw" talent

Having been born into a family that included several artists, Michael Havers, president of Toronto-based Progressive Fine Art, grew up in a abode that was filled with art.

"My uncle haveed a successful art business in novel York City in the '70 and end him my interest in art was nurtured" says Havers. "I was intrigued through creativity, but I realized at an early age that I lacked the unique ability to create art. in the way that I decided to focus my energies upon working with artists."

Havers' career began 26 years ago while working as a sales rep for Denver-based American Design, along with Mark Myers (now president of Atlantic Arts) and wooden Slaymaker (owner of Slaymaker Fine Art--see article upon page 20).

"We each had different visions of the art market" recalls Havers. "So we took these visions, mov forward and created our hold successful art businesses."

Havers says his passion for his work trunk s from the "pure excitement that approachs from recognizing raw talent and ingenuity. It is continually rewarding to discover an artist with potential, work closely with them and evolve their style, watching it flower and flourish"

The defining difference in his firm, he says, is that "we act as artists' agents, focusing our efficacy on developing emerging artists. Our potency comes from forging stable and lasting relationships, resulting in mutual succes We are all about long-term goals, not short-term propositions. Many of our artists, like as Eric Waugh, have been with us for more than 20 years. This foundation of shared revere and trust allows us to continuously thrive in an always-changing market."

He continues: "Progressive Fine Art aims to be an industry leader by means of not following trends and focusing upon a wide-ranging client base--from galleries that specialize in corporate consulting, to galleries that service fine art collectors. Being a Canadian company allows us to benefit from the country's cultural diversity and distinct techniques brought here from all parts of the world. Our policy is to retain our collection dynamic in nature--not just in make submissive matter, but also in pricing by dint of providing our clients with quality works upon both paper and canvas. This is what gives us an cutting side in a changing economy."

Today, the collection at Progressive Fine Art is made up of 90 percent original artwork and 10 percent limited editions--a fact that influenced its new name change from Progressive Editions.

"We have ground that in recent years" says Havers, "there has been an increased demand for original artwork; we have feeling that Progressive Fine Art is effectively satisfying that demand."

Havers continues: "As for the subsequent time we have removed ourselves from the decorative art market, choosing instead to focus upon the original fine art gallery market. We will remain a Canadian company, representing Canada's multicultural communities. The combination of unique [i]modus operandi[/i]s styles, images and inspirations is what will detain our collection new and exciting. We continue to stres individuality among our artists, encouraging them along their creative journey. This is our formula for succes and our coming time looks great?'

For more information about Progressive Fine Art, visit www.progressivefineart.com.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Pfingsten Publishing, LLC

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