True to Form: Local artist is a creativity machine
Nick Bauta wanted to do large-scale vacuum-formed plastic parts for some ambitious immersive design projects. But there were no facilities with the right machinery in our area. So he built […]
Events:
A Shared Journey
September 13, 2025 - March 5, 2026This Is a Thing, Recent Gifts to Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, 2020–2025
September 14, 2025 - March 1, 2026The Court: Art in Play
September 24, 2025 - April 26, 2026The Flower, The Labor, and The Sea
September 27, 2025 - June 28, 2026
Poor Oversight: DoH drops the ball on optometrist accused of sexual assault
“He had an obvious erection, and just started grinding on me. There was nothing ambiguous about it.” This is not how you would expect someone to describe their last visit […]
High Quality: RI tests the waters of cannabis testing
Since the legalization of compassion centers for medical marijuana patients in Rhode Island in 2013, there has been a law on the books requiring that cannabis products be tested in […]
The Real Deal
Rhode Island media lost a heavyweight in early 2021 with the passing of long-time TV news investigative reporter Bill Rappleye, who succumbed to brain cancer last week. Bill left a […]
Publisher Mike Ryan
Mr. Ryan has been publishing Motif for almost 12 years, and wrote the film column for a number of years before that. After graduating from Portsmouth Abbey, he earned a bachelor’s in […]
Executive Summary
What We Are Motif is an arts and entertainment publication in Rhode Island. Its team publishes free papers for more than 60,000 local print readers (audited), online content for another […]
One Hell of a Film at Barnaby Castle
“Let’s throw a par- … I mean, a movie,” decided Kaitlyn Frolich, head spook at Barnaby Castle. Barnaby Castle — the grandiose, gothic mansion on Broadway in Providence that has […]
Motif x RI ComicCon Cosplay Contest
Miss Comic Con? Or Halloween? Both? Or just love to cosplay? Motif to the rescue! Teaming up with RI Comic Con, which would normally happen at the beginning of November, […]
Supporting Portland: Protesters gathered in PVD Saturday night
Protesters gathered in front of the Providence Public Safety Complex on Saturday night, with law enforcement in riot gear standing a block away. One hundred and fifty mostly young people […]