Tracker Pixel for Entry

Wolftree: ​MSUM students and alumni create local publication

Arts | May 23rd, 2013

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.”-- Francis Chan/Wolftree's motto

A new quarterly magazine, Wolftree, will be publicly released at its launch party this weekend.

Wolftree is a small publication based out of Fargo, which aims to support aspiring artists, dreamers and adventurers of the Midwest by highlighting their talents and experiences.

The idea for this publication originated this past December as a joke among four friends:

Noah Kupcho, a recent Minnesota State University Moorhead graduate with a degree in art (photography emphasis), Brooke Kupcho, a senior at MSUM majoring in elementary and special education, Dustin Snyder, a recent MSUM graduate with a degree in geography and Sarah Strong, a senior at MSUM majoring in sustainability.

The four friends discussed how there wasn't an outlet in Fargo-Moorhead to highlight the creativity and passions of aspiring artists. They joked about how they would create their own publication and name it Wolftree.

On a New Year’s road trip to Kansas City, the young adults began to talk more seriously about the idea. Because they believed in the importance of an outlet for people to share their talents and experiences, they decided they would work to turn their joke into reality.

They had been referring to their fake publication as Wolftree, without knowing the actual definition, which is a large tree that sucks the nutrients out of smaller trees around it. Because the group wants this publication to be about building up those around them rather than tearing them down, they decided to redefine the word for the context of their magazine.

A page on their official website redefines wolftree as, "a very small tree that has a narrow-spreading crown and promotes or advances the growth of larger trees around it."

The group is striving for Wolftree to publish wholesome, inoffensive and family-friendly content.

"If your kid grabbed it off the coffee table, it'd be okay," Noah Kupcho said.

They also want the content to be generally neutral in regards to politics and religion. At the same time, they want to be careful not to cover up certain aspects of contributors' personas in favor of celebrating other, more wholesome aspects.

In an attempt to prevent their magazine from fitting into a specific genre,Brooke Kupcho said they don't want contributors to tailor or mold their work to fit a certain type for the magazine. Rather, the idea is to highlight individuals' unique aspects.

"The creativity and focus is on others (not us)," Brooke Kupcho said.

The first publication is Fargo-area focused and content includes personal narratives, Q & A with artists, recipes and more. The magazine will be available in certain downtown stores in Fargo.

"We literally have no money, but we're going for this dream," Brooke Kupcho said. "If you're going to believe in something, believe in it all the way."

IF YOU GO:

WHAT: Wolftree Magazine Vol. 1 Launch Party

WHERE: Ecce Art Gallery

WHEN: Sat May 25, 7-9 p.m.

INFO: All ages welcome. No cover charge. Free food and beverages. Live music. Many of the aspiring artists, dreamers, and adventurers featured in Wolftree's first volume will be present.

Recently in:

Proposed Bills Could Take Books off Library ShelvesBy Laura Simmonslaurasimmons2025@u.northwestern.edu The passing of ND House Bill 1205 and ND Senate Bill 2360, which would prevent sexually explicit books from being in public…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comHPR chats with a local legendThe following interview was done in February of 2016, just a few months after Mr. Josef Olivieri's 90th birthday. We're sorry to hear of his passing at the age of 97 on…

Tuesday, March 21, 6:30pmZandbroz Variety, FargoAuthor of “Boys and Oil: Growing Up Gay in a Fractured Land” Taylor Broby will discuss the important role libraries play in their communities as sanctuaries of acceptance. He will…

By John Strandjas@hpr1.comOur Opinion: Who on Earth would ever want to move to North Dakota?Let’s talk about the left hand and the right hand. Or, more correctly, let’s focus on the right hand, being as there is no left in ND…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comTwo ForumWhite Nationalist Trumplican Nincoms Have Pooped All Over LibrariansSo it has come to pass that Scott Hennen and Ross Nelson have assaulted librarians in the state, accusing them of…

Well shiver me timbers. After weeks of sampling some of the finest drinks in F-M from more bars than we could shake a belaying pin at, the results of High Plains Reader’s 6th Annual Cocktail Showdown are in! For nine weeks,…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.comWhen thinking of popular sandwiches associated with the Upper Midwest, the sloppy joe immediately comes to mind. But let’s not forget the sandwich with a spicy side – the taco grinder. It’s a…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comphoto by Andy Wilcox Many of Fargo-Moorhead’s talented bands and musicians have been able to gain fans around the country. Some of this, of course, is due to social media making it…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comKevin Armento’s play “Killers” inspired both Stefanie Abel Horowitz’s 2019 short film “Sometimes, I Think About Dying” and Rachel Lambert’s 2023 feature “Sometimes I Think About…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comIf you’ve ever driven down the Enchanted Highway, the 32-mile ribbon of road connecting Regent to Gladstone in western North Dakota, home to the world’s largest salvaged metal sculptures,…

By Jessica M. Hawkesjmhawkes84@gmail.comIt wasn’t long after the founding of the railroad and river town of New Rockford that entertainment venues started to put down their own roots. Its population bolstered by booms of nearby…

By Jan Syverson  Jan.r.Syverson@gmail.comFor the past 30 years live, stand-up comedy has had a place in the Fargo Moorhead area, Starting with…

By Kris Gruberperriex1@gmail.comSpring is here (mostly), and our area is buzzing with people eager to get back out and about -- many newly vaccinated and feeling a bit safer. Partnering with Jade Events, Fargo Brewing is just…

By John Showalter  john.d.showalter@gmail.comThey sell fentanyl test strips and kits to harm-reduction organizations and…

JANUARY 19, 1967– MARCH 8, 2023 Brittney Leigh Goodman, 56, of Fargo, N.D., passed away unexpectedly at her home on March 8, 2023. Brittney was born January 19, 1967, to Ruth Wilson Pollock and Donald Ray Goodman, in Hardinsburg,…

By Ken and Alice Christiansonsubmit@hpr1.com HB 1332 is currently before the North Dakota legislature. The bill proposes to permit social workers to use a discredited treatment method to convert the sexual orientation of gay and…