John Faraone: a man of many bands, many instruments, and one poetic voice. While John wouldn’t call himself a poet, I certainly believe that his lyrics are simply stanzas waiting to be printed. After working on his sophomore solo project The Waves for almost five years, he’s finally ready to release this new music and […]
Okee dokee folks… I have referenced the Jethro Tull song, “Too Old to Rock & Roll, Too Young to Die,” A few times in my 22 years of writing for Motif, and I am going to do it again. This time, it is probably more pertinent than ever. I turned 65. Shit, I am old! […]
After nearly a decade of songwriting in a gothic-folk tradition often tinged with early ’90s grunge, Keith J.G. McCurdy drew from a deeper well in crafting Vudu Sister’s 2021 EP, Burnt Offerings. As a Classics and English double major with a minor in Medieval Studies at the University of Rhode Island, he empathized with the […]
Part one of a three-part series. — Introduction At times, being a student on College Hill can feel a little like being Rapunzel atop her tower, understanding that you’re within some sort of seclusion without knowing what you’re not seeing. As an international student a year into Rhode Island, yet still only a breath into […]
Conversations around inclusivity in the fashion and modeling industries have perpetually focused on understanding standards of beauty and defining what it means to be beautiful. While inclusivity is a topic that is sometimes approached with caution or scorn, there are some who approach it with courage and a spirit of innovation. On a bright and […]
Mount Pleasant. Elmhurst. The Valley Arts District. These are all neighborhoods whose offerings I thought I knew well, having worked in and around Providence over the last few years. But you can certainly miss a lot of subtle, intricate treasure troves of experience in this city if you’re not looking for them. As the Gallery […]
PVD-based artist Ian Gaudreau got a tip from a friend about a grant-sponsored mural project. Ten thousand dollars (the advertised amount) is a pretty good commission in the working artist world, so he looked into it. He discussed it with the sponsoring organization, who conveyed the tragic life-cut-short story of Iryna Zarutska. Gaudreau declined to […]
It’s hard to picture celebrating a pregnancy with a temporary tattoo, especially given all the risks that come with carrying a little one. In some cultures however, henna, also known as Mehndi, is actually a very popular and beautiful way to celebrate pregnancy, which can certainly spawn some amazing ideas this Mother’s Day season. You’ve […]
19-year-old Sidney Lepore grew up with many artists in her family. She took an interest in art early on in life and always wanted a career that required creativity. At 18, she drew up a design of her cat, took it to a local shop, and got her first tattoo. “Seeing my own drawing as […]
Once upon a time, if you wanted a tattoo, one of the things you could do was traipse to Newport from any of the four corners of the world and get yourself a tattoo drawn by a character named Carlton Mott, better known as Buddy. Tattoos were popularized at first by sailors who had them […]