Magda León is more than a multidisciplinary artist; she is an immigrant woman who uses art to explore her identity, her roots, and her connection to community. When I asked her how she describes herself, her answer was short: “I’m just an immigrant woman.” And she channels that into her work, whether through art installations, […]
For the Rhode Island artist, educator and muralist, creativity has become a way to open doors, strengthen community and help others discover possibilities within themselves. For Nilton Cárdenas, giving back does not begin with charity. It begins with creativity. It can happen while painting a mural, organizing an exhibition, teaching someone who has never considered […]
Stink Tank – It’s a name that evokes images of a feculent vat and provokes the question: What the hell is this? and Who came up with that name? Stink Tank published its first manifesto June 25, 2004 on the website ArtInRuins.com in an essay titled Compost and the Arts: How to Keep the Arts […]
“Sounds like it’s highlighting the chaos in the world we are living in today.” This was the reaction I got from my friend Nancy Teo when I sent her some of the photos I’d taken at Screech Sprays RI!, a live graffiti event held at Nick Paciorek’s Pitcher-Goff House in Pawtucket on August 28. The […]
The local arts community suffered an unexpected and tragic loss recently with the passing from sudden illness of Kayla St. George, 39. Many knew Kayla as one of the leaders and a former director of operations of the Providence Drum Troupe, under the stage name / nickname “Fife,” and the troupe held a memorial in […]
There’s something wonderful about talking to film students because you can usually pinpoint the exact moment when movies stopped being simply entertainment and started becoming something much more meaningful. For Robert Blue IV, that moment arrived courtesy of giant alien robots. As a kid, he sat down with his dad to watch Transformers. He was […]
The Rhode Island International Film Festival, also known as Flickers, took place August 4 through August 9, bringing filmmakers, actors, industry professionals, and film lovers from around the world to the Ocean State. This year’s festival received more than 7,000 submissions representing over 100 countries. Selected films screened at venues throughout Rhode Island, including the […]
I think museums and the culture around them have historically gotten a bad rap. When you think of museums, you might associate them with classism, inaccessibility, and wealthy donors and patrons. There’s also the issue of who decides which art is displayed and whose history is deemed valuable enough to preserve. So when I came […]
On August 12, Motif cohosted a forum on the Arts in Providence featuring Democratic Primary Mayoral candidates Brett Smiley and David Morales. In Providence, the real election typically happens in the primary. The winner will go on to face David Tenet (R) and Allen Waters (I) in the general election, but Providence is a determinedly […]
For the cover of Motif’s Fall Guide, painter and muralist Nicholas “Niko” Tolentino of Cranston drew inspiration from his childhood days, he relates in an interview at White Electric Coffee Co-Op in Providence. Roger Williams Park in PVD was practically in his backyard. He loved to jump a fence and get to the gazebo behind […]