It seeks to offer readers a topical magazine in the field of multidisciplinary art, as well as a communication, information and research tool that answers their needs.
It is recognized for the quality of its articles, offering both in-depth analyses and rigorously argued opinions on art and society.
National Magazine Awards, Art Direction Grand Prix by Studio FEED for issue #102 (Re)seeing Painting, 2022.
National Magazine Awards, Honourable Mention for the Cover Grand Prix, by Studio FEED for issue #91 LGBT+, 2017.
National Magazine Awards, Honourable Mention for the Art Direction Grand Prix, by Studio FEED for issue #91 LGBT+, 2017.
National Magazine Awards, Silver price for the Art Direction of an Entire Issue Esse #87 The Living, 2016.
In 2009, Esse's 25th anniversary issue (Trouble-fête/Killjoy) rethinking the meaning of celebration wins a Grafika award in the "Magazines" category.
[2] Esse is indexed in Academic OneFile, ARTbibliographies Modern, Arts & Humanities Full Text, Canadian Business & Current Affairs, Canadian Periodical Index Quarterly, Fine Arts and Music Collection, General OneFile, Repère, and available on Érudit Platform and Flipster – Digital Magazines by Ebsco Publishing.
Esse is a member of the Société de développement des périodiques culturels québécois (SODEP) and of Magazines Canada.