The art of forcibly exhaling through a metal tube stuck in a glob of molten glass to create vessels that can contain stuff, particularly liquid stuff, was invented by Syrian craftspeople in Sidon and Babylon sometime between 27 BC and 14 AD. Ancient Romans copied the technique and made glassblowing a major part of their […]
My list of favorite roadside attractions includes these gems: • Lucy the Margate Elephant (Margate City, New Jersey) • Enchanted Highway (Regent, North Dakota) • Cadillac Ranch (Amarillo, Texas) • Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox (Bemidji, Minnesota) • World’s Largest Ball of Twine (Gawker City, Kansas) Every one of them warrants pulling off […]
Wealth has a profound impact on an individual’s role and perception within society, providing a platform for influence, control, and legacy building. This dynamic is demonstrated through the lives of two Rhode Island celebrities, one modern day, one from decades past: Taylor Swift and Rebekah Harkness. These two women, whose considerable fortunes have shaped their […]
Alex Brown has been on an involuntary medical adventure for more than half her life. Now only 28, beginning at age 13 she was hospitalized for medical conditions, such as vomiting blood, that were attributed to mental rather than physical issues. Misdiagnoses followed that pattern, including bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety, for which she was […]
This is a story about tattoos, a grandfather, two of his grandsons, making art, a road trip, and mortality. I’m the grandfather. I’m an old guy. I’m in my 80th year, which is a pretentious way of saying I just turned 79. The two grandsons are Sammy and Simon, brothers — 24 and 21 respectively. […]
March 20 – Providence College Provost Sean Reid and the Office of Mission and Ministry vetoes the group art exhibition Nothing Living Lives Alone, featuring the work of Shey ‘Ri Acu’ Rivera Ríos, Feda Eid, and Luana Morales, which was scheduled to run from March 27 to September 28. April 3 – Providence College faculty, […]
Some things in life look better on screen or on paper — from job descriptions to clothing on Shein to that one person’s profile on Tinder. That experience is also a common one when it comes to getting a tattoo — what looked amazing on paper and sounded great in theory has somehow changed on […]
The flowers are blooming almost violently outside. The chaos of drivers impatiently beeping fills the air. I pass through a heavy red door off Broadway in Providence and walk up the stairs to Angels Collective tattoo studio. The chaotic beeping deadens once inside. Light filters in through a green-paned, stained glass window at the top […]
At the 2024 Spoken Word Awards, hosts Chip Doug and Anjel Newmann ushered in a night of storytelling, poetry, comedy, and more by welcoming nominees and spectators alike. Doug is a host, entrepreneur, local personality, and a Motif contributor (check out his most recent article about The Fitness Sanctuary). Anjel Newmann is an […]
Photo from Gather Glass, gatherglass.com There’s something mesmerizing about watching a glassblower at work. The way they shape the molten glass, spinning and blowing it into delicate works of art before your eyes. It’s like witnessing a form of alchemy, transforming ordinary materials into something extraordinary through an ancient process. The origins of glassblowing can […]