Features
Art expert Gail Nep looks back on fulfilling career
By MYRON LOVE After more than 40 years immersed in the world of art, Gail Nep has cut back somewhat on her activities.
“I can’t do the schlepping I used to do when I was younger,” she says, recalling the days when she could be found crossing Portage and Main lugging paintings of different sizes to the offices of corporate clients downtown.
And she retired from teaching in 2007 – following a career that included 30 years teaching art at West Kildonan Collegiate. “Many of my former students still keep in touch with me,” she notes. “We talk about art.”
Despite taking things a little easier these days, Nep’s expertise is still in demand. For the past 15 years or so, she has been wintering in Mexico, including this winter. She reports that from her office in her second home in that southern sunbelt country she continues to respond to the needs of her clients, most recently art appraisals for the University of Manitoba and the Buhler Centre.
By turn an art teacher, art gallery owner, appraiser and consultant, art has defined here her life. “I have always loved art,” says the former River Heights girl.
Ironically, Nep – who studied art history in university herself has never tried to forge a career as an artist. “I felt that the world didn’t need another mediocre artist,” she explains.
It was her long time next-door neighbour in St. Boniface – the well known artist Tony Tascona – who pushed Gail Nep into the commercial side of art. Knowing that her brother in Calgary, the late Jerry Nep, was an art collector, Tascona urged her – on one of her visits to Jerry – to take a collection of his and fellow artists’ paintings with her to sell.
On one of her returns, he suggested that she consider becoming an art consultant.
So what does an art consultant do? Well, if you want some advice on choosing paintings she will come to your home and get a sense of your tastes and what might suit you.
In the corporate world, Nep would be called upon to suggest and source paintings that woulld add character to the clients’ reception areas, offices and boardrooms.
Following Tascona’s suggestion, Nep began building up a corporate clientele through making cold calls – by phone or in person. Initially, she worked out of her home. In 1984, however she formed a relationship with high end furniture store Roche Bobois, then newly-arrived in the Exchange District across the street from the Royal Albert Arms.
“I was asked to recommend art pieces to complement the furniture displays,” she recalls. “The arrangement worked out very well. People would come in to buy furniture and would also purchase the artwork.”
Roche Bobois shut its doors in 1988. By that time, Nep had opened her own art gallery, “Uptown Gallery”, in the Exchange District. She relocated Uptown to Academy Road – also in 1988 – in conjunction with Roche Bobois’ closing. A couple of years later, she moved Uptown again – this time to the Forks. In the mid-90s, she closed the gallery and began working full time out of her home.
She notes that it is difficult to turn a profit as an art gallery owner. “A lot of people are intimidated by art galleries,” she points out. “One art gallery owner I knew never put prices on the paintings in her gallery. She said that if anyone had to ask the price of a painting, he probably wouldn’t be able to afford it anyway. I used to regularly take my students to visit art galleries to help them become comfortable in the galleries.”
She notes that in recent years, there has been a trend for artists to display their works on the walls of restaurants –a more informal setting for selling their works.
Nep still sells art from her home. “We have a lot of really good artists in Winnipeg who are selling their paintings across Canada and even in Chicago and New York,” she observes.
As for Winnipeggers’ tastes in art, she reports that most of us are quite conservative. We prefer the tried and true – the Group of Seven, for example – rather than sampling more contemporary pieces.
Nep’s career as an appraiser began with an invitation by the Winnipeg Art Gallery to evaluate some pieces at the gallery. “I didn’t really feel that I was qualified,” she recalls, “but the WAG’s collection manager pointed out that I knew all of the gallery’s artists and was familiar with their style.”
As an appraiser, Nep’s services have been in demand across Canada. Her clients include the National War Museum in Ottawa and the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa.
“I love doing appraisals,” Nep says. “At times, it is like doing CSI work. I don’t want to make mistakes. I do a lot of research. At times, I have to search for the artist’s name.“
It is often difficult to tell if a painting is authentic,” Nep points out. “If I am allowed to take pictures out of their frames, I would have a better idea of the authenticity of the picture.” Buying forgeries is an ever-present concern. Even the experts can be fooled.
“The most important consideration in buying art is that the paintings – or photographs – or posters – that you hang on your wall are pictures you love to look at,” she observes. “It doesn’t have to be expensive as long as the picture is one you want to look at every day.”
Features
The Role of Jewish Morals in Art: an Example
By: Dr. Amir Pichhadze
(Submission to jewishpostandnews.ca)
Art can have a role in conveying and inspiring Jewish morals. This role is exemplified in this article through the collaborative artworks of Jacob Pichhadze, my father, and I, Dr. Amir Pichhadze.
During his studies at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts (Georgia), Jacob Pichhadze was gaining recognition for his artistic abilities and accomplishments. For example, his works were featured at the Georgia National Museum (1969). Driven by his ambitions and abilities, Jacob and his wife (my mother, Zinaida), sought to immigrate to the West, where opportunities for artists were more extensive than in his native Georgia. Yet, Jacob’s plans were derailed by the unfortunate occurrence of his father [Shalom Pichhadze] passing away due to a stroke. To support his mother, Hannah Pichhadze, who decided to immigrate to Israel in the early 1970s along with Jacob’s siblings, Jacob and Zina deferred their personal goals and followed their family to Israel (1972).
While the process of immigration was undeniably challenging, Jacob’s determination and skills enabled him to quickly find grounds for pursuing and realizing his ambitions and potentials as a visual artist and art teacher. As was noted in the Israel Review (Aug 20, 1982), an internationally published magazine, Jacob was given his first opportunity to feature his artworks at the Beit Am Jewish Community Center (Jerusalem, 1973), with an opening reception that included the Minister of Justice, Jacob Shimshon Shapira, among others. This was followed by numerous other solo and group exhibitions at other museums and public centers in Israel. These exhibitions were typically supported and attended by large crowds and public figures such as Presidents, Prime Ministers, Mayors, leading entrepreneurs and celebrities. Many of Jacob’s exhibitions were fundraisers for different public needs such as charities, hospitals, immigrants, social organizations such as B’nai B’rith, among others. Jacob’s accomplishments as a visual artist, as well as his contributions to his community, were widely noted in the Israeli media and recognized. For example, David Peled, the Director of Beit Nurit, a Charity which Jacob supported, commented that “Jacob Pichhadze, an artist and teacher, is a man of inspiration possessing powerful artistic expression. He is, as well, a public personality of the highest order among the Jewish immigrants from Russia and Soviet Georgia.” (1987)
As Jacob was gaining recognition, he was also receiving professional opportunities abroad. Yet, considering his mother’s need for support, he remained close by and committed to support her. His dedication was based not only on love but also on his sense of morality. He was particularly inspired by the lessons of morality drawn from the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi, which were instilled in him since childhood.
In this biblical story, following the passing of her husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law, Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi, decided to leave Moab to return to her homeland Judah. Naomi encouraged her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, to stay in their own homeland to start a new life. They were young enough to remarry, Naomi told them. Also, Naomi recognized the risk that they may not be welcomed in Bethlehem since they were Moabites. While Oprah welcomed Naomi’s suggestion and turned towards a new path, Ruth refused to leave Naomi unattended and instead insisted on following her in her journey back to Judah, notwithstanding the unforeseen challenges ahead. Ruth’s reply, which has been described as “the highest and noblest of all expressions of faithfulness,” was:
“Entreat me not to leave thee,
And to return home from following after thee;
For whither thou goest, I will go;
And where thou lodgest, I will lodge;
Thy people are my people, and thy Gd, my Gd.
Where thou diest, will I die, and there be buried;
May Gd do so to me, and more also,
If aught but death part thee and me.”
With little concern over the prospect of poverty and hunger, Ruth accompanied Naomi to the land of her late husband, putting her hope and faith in Gd that He would not forsake them in their need. In their journey, to support them, Ruth turned to the fields to harvest by picking up leftover grain. Boaz, the owner of the land, took notice of her efforts. He inquired about this young woman and saw her sacrifice on behalf of Naomi. He not only allowed her to continue harvesting behind his servants, he also offered her protection as she worked. At hearing of Boaz’s generosity, Ruth fell before him in gratitude. Boaz responded to her gesture, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” Boaz and Ruth were blessed with children, and Ruth lived long enough to see her great-grandson David become king of Israel.
It has been commented that whenever our sages want to point to a shining example of womanhood, of self-sacrificing devotion to the higher things in life, of loyalty and modesty and excellence of character, they speak of Ruth. This inspiring story and its lessons has influenced my father personally, as reflected by his own self-sacrifice and loyalty towards his mother. He also sought to convey the story and its messages through his art, through numerous compositions over time. An early version of this series was featured at the Beit Emanual Museum ((1982, Israel), in a solo exhibition that was attended by guest speaker Shimon Peres, former Israeli President and Prime Minister.
Growing up, I closely followed my father’s teaching of art and morality. As my knowledge and skills developed, we increasingly cooperated in creating art. Also, like my father, I pursued opportunities to use my art for philanthropic purposes. For example, while studying visual art at York University (1996-1999), I initiated and organized a fundraising art exhibition to benefit student scholarship. Deputy Mayor of Toronto, Case Ootes, one of the guest speakers at the opening reception, commented as follows: “Your donation of proceeds from the sale of your artworks to an annual student scholarship fund at York University is an admirable deed, and one that should be applauded by all those who benefit from your generosity.” (Exodus, June 1998) He went on to say, Amir “is helping to define the soul of the new city through culture … obviously from what I’ve seen, he’s got a promising future” (York University’s Excalibur, March 4, 1998).
When asked at the time about my future plans in an interview for the university’s Excalibur newspaper, I commented that law school was my next step; though perhaps foreshadowing, I added that “art, I believe, is something that is always going to stay with me.” Indeed, I ended up pursuing legal studies at the LSE (LLB & LLM-Taxation, 2003-2006), the University of Toronto (NCA, 2008-9), and the University of Michigan Law School (2012-2017), and also worked as a Judicial Clerk at the Tax Court of Canada (2009-2010). Following these studies, my interests branched further into teaching and lecturing at universities worldwide, along with extensive research and publications.
After three years of teaching law at the Deakin Law School (Australia), I took time off to pursue an MSc at the University of Oxford, where I undertook research in legal pedagogy. Yet, halfway into my studies, my father unexpectedly suffered a stroke. In response, after completing my studies at Oxford, I decided to withdraw from my teaching in Australia, so that I could stay in Canada to support my parents in their time of need. Together, my father and I returned to our previous cooperation in creating art. Under the new conditions of my father’s stroke, my role was expectedly more engaged. I undertook the task of both finishing previously commenced works while we also engaging in cooperating to create new artworks together. Among these is our revisit of the theme of Ruth and Naomi.
In these new versions, unlike previous ones which focused on portraying the characters themselves, we attempted to place them in a context that is more suggestive of and related to their story. The first of these (figure 4) places them in an environment of a landscape with fields, suggestive of their journey.
The second artwork (figure 5) places them in a field of harvest.
Finally, the third (figure 6) uses the transition of from Black & White to color in order to suggest their transition from hardship to reward.
My father’s experiences in dealing with my grandfather’s passing as well as the need and desire to support my grandmother, inspired him to convey those experiences and challenges through the portrayal of the story of Ruth and Naomi. Hence, his art imitated the biblical story as well as, indirectly, his own life experiences and moral lessons derived from the story and from his life experiences. As I was growing up, that art taught and inspired me, and perhaps also others. Now, having found myself in similar circumstances, I have drawn inspiration and guidance from that art. Hence, my life imitates and is inspired by art. Moreover, in this cycle of influences between art and life, we revisit and further develop our art, based on our new life experiences, insights, and emotions. Hence, the relationship between art and life can be cyclical, dynamic and evolving. This gives art an ongoing and valuable role in life. Our example, I would suggest, gives valuable and additional perspective on, and examples of, the concept addressed by Oscar Wilde and others on the relationship between art and life. Oscar Wilde famously commented that “‘life imitates art far more than art imitates life’.
In conclusion, our artworks, beyond their aesthetic value, have served other roles. They have made it possible to convey Jewish moral values that guide and inspire us. They have also provided an opportunity to revisit and (re)build our cooperation, which gave new life to our bond. In sharing our experiences, I hope to inspire others to also explore and experience the value of art well beyond its aesthetic value.
Features
How To Earn Money with Cryptocurrency From Home
If you’re looking for new ways to make money from home, there’s a modern way to do it. Cryptocurrency has opened up new opportunities for making money online. With the right approach, you can generate income without leaving your house. Whether you want to invest, trade, or earn through other methods, there are various ways to profit from digital currencies. For instance, Canadian poker players take advantage of crypto-friendly platforms to play from home and cash out in Bitcoin or other digital currencies. These platforms provide customers various benefits and attractions that make online gambling a great way to earn money from home, while also having fun.
Understanding Cryptocurrency
Before diving into ways to make money, it is important to understand what cryptocurrency is. It is a digital form of money that operates on blockchain technology.
Unlike traditional currencies, it is decentralized and not controlled by any government or central bank. The most well-known cryptocurrency is Bitcoin, but there are thousands of others, including Ethereum, Litecoin, and Solana, and even plenty of meme coins to choose from.
Trading Cryptocurrency
One of the most popular ways to earn money with cryptocurrency is through trading. This involves buying and selling digital coins to take advantage of price changes.
Day Trading
Day trading is for those who want to make quick profits by buying and selling cryptocurrencies within the same day. It requires monitoring price charts and market trends. Since prices can be volatile, traders must act quickly to capitalize on short-term price movements.
Swing Trading
Unlike day trading, swing trading focuses on medium-term price trends. Traders hold onto their assets for days or even weeks, waiting for a better price before selling. This method requires patience and a good understanding of market trends.
Holding
HODLing is a long-term investment strategy. Investors buy cryptocurrencies and keep them for an extended period, expecting the value to rise over time. This method is ideal for those who believe in the long-term potential of digital currencies and prefer a hands-off approach.
Earning Through Staking
Staking allows cryptocurrency holders to earn passive income by participating in the network of a blockchain. By holding certain cryptocurrencies in digital wallets, users help validate transactions and secure the network. In return, they receive rewards in the form of additional coins. Some popular staking coins include Ethereum, Cardano, and Polkadot.
Mining Cryptocurrency
Mining is another way to generate income from home. It involves using computer power to validate transactions and add new blocks to the blockchain. Miners are rewarded with cryptocurrency for their efforts.
While Bitcoin mining requires expensive equipment and high electricity costs, other cryptocurrencies like Litecoin and Monero can still be mined using regular computers. Some mining pools allow individuals to combine their computing power with others to increase their chances of earning rewards.
Earning Through Airdrops and Forks
Airdrops occur when cryptocurrency projects distribute free tokens to wallet holders as part of a promotion. These giveaways help new projects attract attention. To receive airdrops, users often need to hold a specific cryptocurrency or complete simple tasks like signing up for a newsletter or following a project on social media.
Forks happen when a blockchain splits into two. If you hold a cryptocurrency that undergoes a fork, you may receive new coins based on the amount you already own. This provides an opportunity to make money without additional investment.
Participating in Play-to-Earn Games
The rise of blockchain gaming has created new opportunities for earning cryptocurrency from home, while also having a little fun. Some online games reward players with digital assets for completing tasks, winning battles, or progressing through levels. These assets can be sold or traded for real money.
Many play-to-earn games operate using NFTs, which allow players to own and trade in-game items. Popular games in this space include Axie Infinity, The Sandbox, and Gods Unchained.
Creating and Selling NFTs
Non-fungible tokens have created new earning possibilities for digital artists, musicians, and content creators. NFTs are unique digital assets stored on the blockchain, representing ownership of artwork, music, videos, and virtual collectibles.
Artists can create NFTs and sell them on marketplaces making them a great way to raise your income from home. Some NFTs have sold for thousands or even millions of dollars, making this a profitable option for those with creative skills.
Earning Crypto Through Affiliate Programs
Affiliate programs allow individuals to earn cryptocurrency by promoting products and services. Many crypto exchanges, wallets, and investment platforms offer referral programs where users receive rewards for bringing in new customers.
By sharing referral links on social media, blogs, or YouTube channels, users can generate a steady income stream. The more people who sign up using their link, the more they earn.
Crypto Lending and Yield Farming
Crypto lending allows investors to earn interest by lending their digital assets to others, of course, you will need to have a crypto to lend in the first place to make money through this method.
Yield farming is another way to earn passive income. It involves providing liquidity to decentralized finance platforms and earning rewards in return. This method can be profitable but carries risks, including market fluctuations and smart contract vulnerabilities.
Freelancing for Crypto Payments
Many online platforms and businesses pay freelancers in cryptocurrency for their work. Writers, developers, graphic designers, and marketers can find gigs that offer digital currency as payment.
There are plenty of websites out there that can help connect freelancers with clients who prefer paying in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.
By offering services in exchange for cryptocurrency, freelancers can avoid traditional banking fees and receive payments faster.
Features
Understanding different payment methods in online casinos
Payment methods have been a hot topic of conversation in the casino gaming world since the inception of online casinos. Before the internet changed the entire fabric of this industry, there were a relatively small number of ways to deposit money in a casino. Many land-based casinos have ATMs, others accept cheque payments as withdrawals and deposits, and others pay out larger amounts in cash or bank transfers.
Of course, Visa and Mastercard have been widely accepted in land-based and digital casinos for decades. But compared to the way the market is now, with a whole range of e-wallets and digital payment options, the number of possibilities has soared.
Today, we’ll review the popular payment methods, some of which experts believe could disrupt the industry, and other options that have started to connect with casino gaming audiences in Canada and further afield.
Prepayment vouchers
In the modern casino market, digital wallets and internet-based payment services have become dominant forces in casino gaming. Prepayment services have exploded in popularity over the last 25 years, and services and platforms such as Neosurf have been able to carve out a slice of this market for themselves.
As the Canadian market expands, prepayment options such as Skrill and Paysafecard have emerged as deposit options for gamers looking to deposit first and pay later. Neosurf is widely used in casino gaming, offering e-wallet and account functionality. Knowing where you can find the best Neosurf casinos is a good move, as dozens of highly reputable providers provide a facility for Neosurf customers to play casino games.
However, in a vast and competitive casino gaming market, casinos that simply focus on one type of payment method face an uphill challenge in an industry where scope of choice is becoming more of a selling point.
E-wallet payment options
While PayPal and Neteller might have been the first companies to highlight the potential for e-wallets to exist as payment methods in the online casino business, they have morphed into an entirely different market to that of 20 years ago.
Options such as Apple Pay and Google Pay have surged in popularity. While they work similarly to PayPal and Neteller, for the tens of millions of people who have added their debit card to their phone wallet, it’s a simple case of selecting either Apple Pay, Android or Google Pay, depending on the type of mobile device you use. Your card information syncs immediately to the site, and you can deposit within seconds.
It’s faster than entering your card details. It integrates the biometric face ID or your passcode, depending on which one you use on your mobile device. If you experience any issues, you can immediately freeze your Apple Pay card, meaning nobody can withdraw any funds.
Traditional methods
Millions of online casino gamers opt for traditional payment options. We’ve touched on some of these, including PayPal and Visa. However, despite the rise of e-wallet payment options and more contemporary types of payments such as cryptocurrency, there’s still a vast, dominant market for Visa and Mastercard – which are two of the oldest and most traditional payment methods still available in the casino gaming industry, both online and land-based.
Of all the key tips to use the internet safely, several high-profile anti-fraud campaigns focus on traditional payment options. While entering your card details, CVV number and expiry date into the wrong site can be disastrous, many stopgaps are in place, including suspicious transaction flagging from both Visa and your bank, which can stop criminals dead in their tracks.
That said, handing out such information is still not a good idea. This is why you should always research a casino before you use it. Once you ensure they have a watertight security system and have not been subjected to a data breach, you can deposit your funds with greater confidence. It also pays to keep updated with the latest cybersecurity news, including sophisticated phish-free phishing attacks, one of the latest emerging threats.
The future of payment methods in online casino gaming
Cryptocurrency and blockchain systems are the latest methods that have become popular in the online casino world, although they might not have the visibility or the same level of mass adoption that we have seen with other payment options over the last few years.
It does feel like there’s room for Bitcoin and altcoins to become players in the future. Not only do they have the appeal to branch into a broader market, but by utilizing and leveraging the power of the blockchain, users can deposit and withdraw their funds directly to their crypto wallet without having to enter their card details.
In the event of a cyberattack, a cryptocurrency casino’s main wallet is often targeted for funds, but criminals rarely try to extract databases of information.
The added convenience and potential security could be the two main pillars that bring cryptocurrency alongside some payment systems that have been present in the casino gaming world for decades. There are still other variables to consider here – most crucially, regulation. However, if these obstacles can be overcome, crypto could spearhead the growth of online casinos into the 2030s.
Final thoughts
You could find platforms with two dozen payment options, depending on the casino site you use. Many of the large providers offer as many payment options as possible. Other sites, such as niche casinos that don’t have the same market share, will only focus on cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP.
However, regardless of the payment options you encounter in an online casino, they will often fall into three categories: e-wallets, traditional payment systems or niche digital-specific payment options, such as cryptocurrency. We wouldn’t recommend seeking the niche options if you do not understand how they work.
Understand the mechanics of these payment systems and what drives the market. Once you know the payment option, whether cryptocurrency or Apple Pay, you can test the waters and experience how it works in the broader online casino gaming industry.
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