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Rediscovered Emily Carr and Masterpiece Tom Thomsons Make History at Heffel’s Fall Auction

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Record-breaking results at Heffel’s fall auction, surpassing $22M in total salesEmily Carr $50 barn find shatters presale expectations and sells for $349,000Outstanding results for Tom Thomson masterworks, with two major examples each surpassing $2M

TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2024 /CNW/ – Heffel Fine Art Auction House celebrated a landmark evening at its historic fall auction, achieving a remarkable total of $22.7 million and setting multiple records across all areas of the market. Tom Thomson stole the show, with two major works from the Collection of Torben V. Kristiansen surpassing $2 million each, cementing his place as a cornerstone of Canadian art. All eyes were also on Emily Carr’s Masset, Q.C.I., the rediscovered barn find that captivated the art world and far exceeded expectations. The auction underscored the strength and vibrancy of Canada’s art market, with Heffel leading the way. Held at the firm’s Toronto auction venue, the event connected a global audience through their Digital Saleroom, providing a dynamic platform for collectors to come together and celebrate exceptional art. (All prices are in Canadian dollars and include a buyer’s premium.)

An extraordinary piece of Canadian art history came to light at the Heffel auction with Emily Carr’s Masset Q.C.I., which achieved a final sale price of $349,250 (est. $100,000 – 200,000). The remarkable backstory of the work—hidden away for over a century before being purchased for just $50 USD at a Hamptons barn sale—has captivated the world. Collectors flocked to Heffel’s cross-country previews for a glimpse of the powerful and vivid depiction of a bear totem in Haida Gwaii, exemplifying Carr’s reverence for the Indigenous cultures and landscapes of British Columbia. The sale marks a triumphant homecoming for the painting, which now reclaims its place as an essential chapter in Canada’s cultural history.

Three extraordinary Tom Thomson paintings dominated the auction, collectively totaling nearly $5 million, led by two masterworks from the esteemed Collection of Torben V. Kristiansen. Winter Morning achieved an astounding $2,281,250 (est. $1,000,000 – 1,500,000), while Tamarack Swamp commanded $2,101,250 (est. $1,200,000 – 1,600,000). Earlier in the evening, Thomson’s dazzling Northern Lake more than doubled its expected price and sold for $541,250 (est. $200,000 – 300,000). Due to Thomson’s untimely death, his works are among the rarest and most coveted in Canadian art, and these impressive results exemplify his icon status.

“Tonight’s auction has been truly unforgettable,” said Robert Heffel, Vice President of Heffel Fine Art Auction House. “From the powerful sale of Tom Thomson’s masterpieces to the emotional return of Emily Carr’s Masset Q.C.I., we witnessed the deep connection collectors have with Canadian art. It’s incredibly rewarding to see these exceptional works find their rightful place in the spotlight, commanding the attention and prices they deserve.”

Highlights from the Heffel Fall 2024 Live Auction

A monumental and one-of-a-kind 10-kilogram solid gold coin from the Royal Canadian Mint, featuring the iconic artwork of renowned Haida artist Chief James Hart (7IDANsuu), sold for $1,561,250, setting an auction record for the artist and for any coin ever sold in Canada. A true masterpiece, The Dance Screen (The Scream Too), based on Hart’s massive wooden carving in the collection of the Audain Art Museum, beautifully blends the artist’s Haida culture with numismatic craftsmanship.Frederick Varley’s Bridge Over Lynn shattered the previous auction record for the Group of Seven artist and sold for an exceptional result of $1,321,250. Beloved for its vivid palette and dynamic portrayal of British Columbia’s lush Lynn Valley, this major canvas stands as one of the few remaining Varley canvases in private hands (est. $800,000 – 1,200,000).Candelle, a striking, museum-quality 1959 canvas from Marcelle Ferron‘s most celebrated period, sold for an impressive $841,250, nine times its pre-sale estimate of $125,000 – 175,000. The work exemplifies Ferron’s mastery of colour and form, making it one of the standout pieces of the auction.Kenojuak Ashevak’s iconic The Enchanted Owl achieved a record-breaking $289,250 at the Heffel auction, soaring past its pre-sale estimate. Consigned by the Grand Rapids Art Museum in Michigan, this vibrant and celebrated print holds a cherished place as a national treasure and a masterpiece of Inuit printmaking, having been immortalized on a Canadian postage stamp in 1970 (est. $125,000 – 175,000).A remarkable five artist records were shattered in today’s sale, including standout examples by James Hart, Frederick Varley, Kenojuak Ashevak, W.P. Weston and Bess Harris. Weston’s Howe Sound—Yesterday, Today and Forever, a showstopping 1927 masterpiece once held in the prestigious IBM collection, flew to $241,250 (est. $60,000 – 80,000) and Bess Harris’s absolutely stunning Near Moraine Lake achieved a well-deserved $133,250 (est. $50,000 – 70,000). These incredible results highlight the vibrant demand and soaring market for Canadian art, making this auction one of the most exciting in Heffel’s history.

For more information on the works included in Heffel’s fall live auction, visit www.heffel.com.

Additional works from the Collection of Torben V. Kristiansen are currently on offer through a curated Heffel online auction, closing on November 28, with future auctions to follow.

Heffel is now welcoming consignments for the spring 2025 auction season, encompassing international and Canadian works of art. The deadline for spring consignments is February 2025.

About Heffel Fine Art Auction House
Since 1978, Heffel has connected passionate collectors across the world with outstanding works of art, with sales approaching $1 billion. Heffel is renowned for its expertise in effectively managing and handling estates, serving as trusted experts for navigating the complexities of art collections inherited from estates with precision and care. With facilities in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and Calgary, Heffel has the most experienced team of fine art specialists in Canada and provides premium client service to both sellers and buyers internationally.

SOURCE Heffel Fine Art Auction House

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JAMS Launches AI for Enterprise Job Scheduling: JAX and JAMS MCP, on the Model You Choose

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July 24, 2026

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A new AI agent and an open-standard connector let IT teams query, diagnose, and manage automation in plain language, on the model they choose, with operational data staying inside their own network

LONDON, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — JAMS Software, an orchestration solution for scheduled and event-driven automation, today announced the general availability of two AI capabilities for enterprise job scheduling: JAX, an AI agent built into the JAMS Web Client, and JAMS MCP, a connector built on the open Model Context Protocol standard that brings JAMS into external AI coding tools. Both capabilities ship at no additional cost as part of JAMS Web.

Automation environments grow faster than the teams that run them. Jobs multiply across SQL Server, Azure Data Factory, Airflow, SAP, JDE, and Banner, and when one fails, finding the root cause often means searching several consoles at once, frequently outside business hours. At the same time, IT leaders carry pressure to adopt AI while staying accountable for where operational data goes. JAX and JAMS MCP close both gaps together.

Full details on how JAX and JAMS MCP work, including the control model behind every action, are available at jamsscheduler.com/product/ai.

JAX is an AI agent that runs inside the JAMS Web Client. It finds jobs, troubleshoots failures, and answers how-to questions in plain language, with each response grounded in the JAMS user guide and checked against a built-in glossary. JAX acts only when a user asks it to. Reads flow freely, and every write action pauses for the user’s explicit approval before it runs. JAX does not learn between sessions, and conversations are not retained on the server.

JAMS MCP is a connector, built on the open Model Context Protocol standard, that brings JAMS into the AI tools engineering teams already use, including Cursor, VS Code with Copilot, Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and Codex. Users query jobs, investigate failures, and manage runs in plain language without leaving their tool.

Both capabilities run inside the customer’s own network and act as the signed-in user, with that user’s exact JAMS permissions. There is no elevated AI account: whatever a user cannot do in the JAMS interface, JAX and JAMS MCP cannot do on that user’s behalf. Every JAX and MCP operation is recorded in its own dedicated log, and changes made through the JAMS API land in the JAMS audit trail like any other change. Customers choose their own AI model, whether a commercial provider such as OpenAI or Anthropic or a model running entirely on their own hardware, and JAMS never trains on customer data. In the current release, neither feature edits or deletes a job, folder, schedule, or agent definition. For teams that must keep operational data within a defined boundary, JAX runs on a local model entirely inside the customer’s own network, so nothing leaves at all.

“Adopting AI usually means giving something up, most often visibility into where your data goes,” said Pete Hegland, Chief Executive Officer of JAMS Software. “We built JAX and JAMS MCP so that trade does not have to happen. Every action runs as the signed-in user, every change waits for approval, and the model itself can run entirely inside your own network.”

“IT teams across the United Kingdom and EMEA tell us the same thing: they want the benefit of AI without losing sight of where their data goes,” said Greg McLaughlin, Account Executive for EMEA at JAMS Software. “JAX and JAMS MCP let them keep operational data inside their own network and still get answers in plain language. That combination is what makes this practical for the teams I work with.”

JAX and JAMS MCP are available now to all JAMS Web customers across the United Kingdom and EMEA, with no separate licence, SKU, or additional cost. AI-assisted creation of new jobs and workflows from a plain-language description is on the roadmap for a future release, gated by the same approvals and permissions as every other action.

Learn how JAX and JAMS MCP work at https://jamsscheduler.com/product/ai.

Fast facts

JAX is an AI agent built into the JAMS Web Client for job scheduling and workflow automation.JAMS MCP is a connector built on the open Model Context Protocol standard, for Cursor, VS Code with Copilot, Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and Codex.Both act as the signed-in user, with that user’s exact JAMS permissions, and there is no elevated AI account.Customers choose the AI model, including a local model that runs entirely inside their own network.JAMS never trains on customer data.Both are available now at no additional cost as part of JAMS Web.

About JAMS Software

Founded in 1987, JAMS Software is an orchestration solution that helps IT teams centralize, automate, and manage scheduled and event-driven jobs across complex, hybrid environments. Over 850 customers rely on JAMS to run their automated workloads. JAMS Software, LLC is headquartered at 108 Patriot Drive, Suite A, Middletown, DE 19709.

Media Contact
Bobby Schmidt, Vice President of Marketing
press@jamssoftware.com
800.261.4267

 

 

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Video: CNPC offers green chemical answer

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July 24, 2026

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BEIJING, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from chinadaily.com.cn:

Located on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the Tarim 1.2 MTA Phase II Ethylene Project and its supporting green and low-carbon demonstration facility of PetroChina Dushanzi Petrochemical Company, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation, are offering a new example of China’s low-carbon industrial transformation.

Watch the video to discover how CNPC is exploring a cleaner and more circular future for the industry.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/video-cnpc-offers-green-chemical-answer-302834036.html

SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn

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Shanghai Electric showcases embodied intelligence robot matrix and AI-native smart factory solutions at WAIC 2026

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July 24, 2026

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Featuring humanoid robots with 41 degrees of freedom, pipe‑inspection robots with ±1mm positioning accuracy, and 51 industrial‑grade AI agents

SHANGHAI, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Operations in high-end equipment manufacturing often involve confined spaces, complex objects, and fine manipulation tasks that demand sustained and stable precision. At the recent 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance (WAIC 2026), Shanghai Electric (SEHK: 02727, SSE: 601727) showcased its comprehensive portfolio of embodied intelligence solutions tailored to a range of industrial scenarios.

Themed “AI for All: Smart Squad, Shining Without Limits,” Shanghai Electric highlighted its capabilities across embodied AI robots, robot core components, and AI-native smart factory solutions, demonstrating end-to-end capabilities spanning complete robot systems, critical parts, industrial software, and smart factory architecture.

“The true value of embodied intelligence lies in understanding real industrial tasks: combining the strength, precision, and stability of machines with human experience and judgment to drive a genuine paradigm of ‘machine-assisted, human-machine collaboration,'” said Wang Chunlei, deputy general manager of the Robotics Business Unit at Shanghai Electric Automation Group.

Shanghai Electric’s robotics portfolio covers five key industrial scenarios: connector insertion, electrical operations, flexible sorting, intelligent assembly, and pipe processing. Highlights include:

“SUYUAN” bipedal humanoid robot: With 41 degrees of freedom for enhanced mobility, it is equipped with a multimodal visual sensing system on the head and torso, along with a dual-battery hot-swap system. It is well-suited for inspection, material handling, and assembly tasks.”TUOYUAN” industrial wheeled humanoid robot: Powered by an embodied intelligence foundation model and force-position hybrid control, it is capable of multi-spec connector insertion, material sorting, and loading/unloading of automotive sheet metal parts.”Mermaid” bionic wheeled humanoid robot: Capable of autonomously identifying buttons, knobs, and air switches, it generates real-time operation paths.Autonomous pipe inner-wall chamfering robot: Designed for confined spaces, it can position and process thousands of hole edges with accuracy within 1 millimeter while transmitting data in real time.

Shanghai Electric also showcased its portfolio of core components ranging from power-output to end effectors. Among them, the planetary roller screw offers more than three times the load capacity of traditional ball screws, while the DexHand dexterous hand is designed to meet diverse gripping and manipulation requirements.

Shanghai Electric launched 51 AI models and agents under its “StarCloud Intelligent Manufacturing” series across three domains: R&D and design, production and manufacturing, and operations and maintenance—covering critical equipment processes such as process optimization and wind power facility maintenance.

These industrial agents are embedded in robotic decision-making systems and the operational logic of AI-native smart factories, transforming industrial expertise into digitized, reusable capabilities. They support production-line scheduling, quality inspection, and predictive maintenance, driving the evolution of manufacturing systems from experience-driven to data-driven operations.

Shanghai Electric also released the “AI-Native Smart Factory Technology White Paper,” proposing an active evolution architecture that enables real‑time, closed‑loop optimization of production data, giving the factory self‑perception, self‑decision, and self‑execution capabilities. Built on First Principles, the AI‑native smart factory vertically integrates process flows, industrial software, agents, and smart equipment to dismantle traditional hierarchies while horizontally bridging data silos. The architecture features three core layers: the AI factory brain as the “control center,” industrial agents and embodied robots as the “execution network,” and the physical twin as the “digital mirror.”

Leveraging its deep industrial expertise and comprehensive solution capabilities, Shanghai Electric will continue to drive the implementation of AI in industrial settings, tackle technical challenges facing embodied intelligence in complex scenarios, accelerate the large‑scale deployment of AI‑native smart factories, and deliver replicable solutions across diverse manufacturing environments.

SOURCE Shanghai Electric

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