From the publisher and editor-in-chief, Dennis Kempton, about the conception of Oeuvre Magazine.

“I have been entertained, inspired, and validated by literary and art magazines since I was a teenager. The beauty of the images caught in the lens of what is beautiful in the eyes of photographers, the power of the written word to motivate, challenge, and lift the spirit and consciousness, the exhilaration of the performing arts and the expression of discipline and explosive creativity of the fine arts — all of these things demonstrate that artists have the unique charge and ability to be unifiers in an increasingly acrimonious world.

For a few years, I had grown restless and cynical about my work as an editor, working primarily in the world of news and politics. I began to take notice of the fact that Duluth has an unusually large arts community for its size as a city and that there was no journal or publication devoted exclusively to recognizing and encouraging artists to promote their works and to bring the community together in the continuing conversation the arts inspires among us. I decided to marry my passion for the arts to my professional career as an editor. That’s how Oeuvre Magazine was conceived.

Oeuvre, derived from the French word used commonly to refer to an artist’s “body of work,” is an arts and literature Web publication bringing together local artists of all kinds into a new and fresh approach to the traditional arts journal. It is my goal, with this publication, to break down the barriers that keep people from fully engaging with the creative community and to help people realize and embrace the artistic lives they live every day.”

Oeuvre features engaging and provoking short fiction, nonfiction, informative interviews, inspiring photography and illustrations of fine arts as well several monthly features suggesting local artists’ work, and reading recommendations.  Our over-arching theme with our content is to help people discover an artistic life in their every day activities.

Founded in 2009, Oeuvre Magazine is produced and designed in Duluth, Minnesota.