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

Art Business News, Dec, 2004

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

"My uncle owned a successful art business in New York City in the '70s and through him my interest in art was nurtured" says Havers. "I was intrigued by creativity, but I realized at an early age that I lacked the unique ability to create art. So, I decided to focus my energies on 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 Woody Slaymaker (owner of Slaymaker Fine Art--see article on page 20).

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

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

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

He continues: "Progressive Fine Art aims to be an industry leader by not following trends and focusing on 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 keep our collection dynamic in nature--not just in subject matter, but also in pricing by providing our clients with quality works on both paper and canvas. This is what gives us an edge 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 recent name change from Progressive Editions.

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

Havers continues: "As for the future, we have removed ourselves from the decorative art market, choosing instead to focus on the original fine art gallery market. We will remain a Canadian company, representing Canada's multicultural communities. The combination of unique methods, styles, images and inspirations is what will keep our collection new and exciting. We continue to stress individuality among our artists, encouraging them along their creative journey. This is our formula for success and our future looks great?'

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