Every city has that one neighborhood spot that feels like a little oasis — the place you can wander into and instantly run into friends, grab an affordable drink, and feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself. For me, and for many people in Providence, that place is Ogie’s. So imagine my surprise […]
PVDFest 2025 was a step toward the festival’s roots and toward a more local foundation, a vision espoused by Lizzy Araujo Haller as the first city director of the event. “We have a small team for this, working closely with City resources and FirstWorks, but there’s no way it would be possible without all the […]
Our 2025 Battle of the Bands turned out to be a battle of bands vs. nature, as rain persistently threatened each band’s performance and eventually opened up the floodgates to pour silence on the ironically named Sun of Sound. Sun of Sound was the third of four contestants. Our hearts go out to them, and […]
Do you ever have those seasons where you become hyper fixated on a specific interest for a time? I’ve been through many, whether it’s one musical artist, a new TV show and all of its accompanying lore, or a certain style of dress. A few years ago, I found myself drawn to the Afrofuturist movement […]
Naylea Hernández of Providence paints in vibrant colors like her favorite contemporary artist, Rocio Cabrera. The cover artist for Motif’s Hispanic Heritage issue, Hernández makes a point of using slime green in a number of her paintings. It’s her favorite color, she says, reminiscent of Nickelodeon’s iconic and signature substance. In her composition for the […]
On September 15th, Rhode Island—like other states across the nation—will begin a month-long celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15–Oct. 15). This annual event is meant to honor the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Yet, as the founder of Rhode Island’s first statewide Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration back in 1988, I […]
“988 isn’t just a number. It’s a promise: that no one has to go through a mental health crisis alone.” -988 Lifeline Supervisor Stephanie Clifford at 988 Day Event Horizon Healthcare Partners announced that there has been a 212% increase in calls since 988 became the crisis behavioral health hotline. Co-authored by RI Senator Jack […]
Political violence is a bad thing from any perspective, but there is a long tradition of it. In the classic 1970 collection of over one hundred primary source documents American Violence, the earliest account is Pilgrims versus Puritans from 1634 and the most recent, two years before the book was published, are the Chicago Riots […]
It should be abundantly clear to anybody who has read my work over the last years of published pieces here at Motif: I love the city of Providence. Everything about it to me exudes quiet charm, limitless narratives, and alluring architecture, all set to the soundtrack of an artsy yet brutalistic urban landscape. This admiration […]
At Providence, solar aurora may be visible overnight Mon into Tue, although fairly unlikely. Aurora is unusual at latitudes this far south, but it typically happens a few times every year. Weather at Providence during the potential aurora will be partly cloudy with about 50% cloud cover, temperature about 60°F and near-zero chance of rain. […]