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 […]
The RI Department of Transportation (RIDOT) announced a major initiative to repair potholes caused by a harsh winter. A new Pothole Service Requests Dashboard site on the web – https://www.dot.ri.gov/travel/potholes.php – allows the public to report locations needing repair, and monitor progress. It includes overall counts and a map that can zoom down to individual […]
Providence Creates Green Revolving Fund for Municipal Projects PROVIDENCE — In a political environment where federal officials — and even some Rhode Island officials — have proposed rolling back climate funding and resources, others are deciding it’s time to double down. Mayor Brett Smiley announced on April 7 that city officials were creating Providence’s first […]
On the “Weekend Update” satirical news segment on Saturday Night Live. anchor Colin Jost displayed a snapshot of an unhinged rant laced with profanity in the form of a Donald Trump post to Truth Social, before admitting he made it up – but until he said that, any viewer would assume it was real. I […]
Readers made Motif aware they received text messages trying to entice them into following a web link that presumably would lead to a scam, collecting financial information or infecting the user with malware. The messages threaten dire legal consequences due to unpaid violations at the RI Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV), citing general laws references […]
By Lillian MK Photography By Olivia Lunger By Izzy Cooke
The Music Awards went off without a hitch this year, and over the course of the evening more than 400 local music lovers dropped by to dance, listen, and cheer on fellow musicians. We’ll have more photos and a fuller description soon, but for right now, here are the picks over 5,000 voters selected this […]
Please join us on Monday night, March 30, to celebrate local music at The MET! Or check out the latest details on Facebook. The 2026 Motif Rhode Island Music Awards are here! We are so proud to announce this year’s nominees. Rhode Island might be small, but our music community is mighty, and it is […]
[See prior update: motifri.com/iran-war2026] Donald Trump built his entire life and career on denial of reality, convinced he could counter every adversary with some combination of cajolery and charm or, if that failed, threatening and bullying. In his first presidential term, Trump hit the wall because a pandemic virus is not susceptible to such […]
No Kings – nokings.org – is a non-violent protest movement responding to the monarchy-like concentration of power in the hands of the president, to the exclusion of Congress and the judiciary. The 50501 movement (“50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement.”) named its protest events “No Kings” as an explicit evocation of history, drawing five million […]