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 […]
The tattoo artist who goes by Mish, of Fall River, MA, created this month’s cover. “I got the nickname when I was younger, and it just kinda stuck,” she says. Also, it stirs a little mystery into life. Mish was born in Watertown, NY, and, after graduating high school, attended the University of Rhode Island, […]
The 2026 Tattoo Awards took place on June 2 at Narragansett Brewery. Check out the winners and photos from the event at the links below! “May your tattoo ink never run dry,” as the ancient Portlandian blessing goes, has rarely been more applicable. Motif is proud to partner again with Narragansett Brewery to bring you […]
On February 28, after 20 years of being a community staple for first dates, Super Tuesday regulars, and movie fanatics alike, CWTheaters (previously called CinemaWorld) was forced to shut its doors for good. The decline of the theater began in July of 2025, when the small theater company that owns CWTheaters, Starr, filed for Chapter […]
Last year, I had a blast and a half working on a fun commercial shoot. I landed the gig because the fella producing, Josh Kirk, asked around to find an actor to portray the client’s mother, and that is how I landed the role as Lawyer Twillie’s mom. Yes, that is the attorney’s real name. […]
Cover artist Elliott Italiano of Jamestown is a self-made glass artist. As a young adult, Italiano’s interests centered on fashion, inspiring thoughts of pursuing a degree in luxury marketing and design. He relates to his past self by being “very particular about how I look,” the artist explains. “I believe that how you present yourself […]