After 12 years of occasionally trying and false starts, we are finally releasing an official Motif beer. Co-brewed by our very own mistress of beer writing, Kelly Currier, under the tutelage of John Otero at Vigilant Brewing in Bristol, Liquid Art is dedicated to all the arts Little Rhody produces, from the culinary to the […]
Although Rhode Island is geographically the smallest of our fifty states, we are lucky to have many non-governmental and non-profit organizations with visions that promote missions for improving social justice and equity. I recently learned about a relatively new non-profit organization called Reclaim Rhode Island. Incorporated in May of 2020, Reclaim Rhode Island was organized […]
For political enthusiasts looking for fact-based rationalism in our hyper-polarized political climate, this film represents a breath of fresh air on the horizon. At the intersection of sanity and racial intellectualism, the documentary Dr. Ira Raid Haverford College’s Unsung Scholar and Activist comes to Newport this month. The documentary was screened this spring at the […]
Okee dokee folks… At the 2024 Motif Music Awards show, the Providence Drum Troupe played through the award acceptance for best awards show interruption. It was planned, funny, and entertaining. The Providence Drum Troupe is an assortment of over 25 musicians, acrobats, fire-spinners, life-size puppets, stilt-walkers, and hula-hoopers who perform randomly, regularly, and at scheduled […]
R.I. Officials Praise Revolution Wind Farm’s Progress PROVIDENCE — Just one month after the project started putting “steel in water,” Revolution Wind announced on June 14 it completed manufacturing the advanced foundation components for use in its eponymous wind farm. Federal and state officials descended on the project’s base in the Port of Providence, praising […]
Every once in a while, an email lands in my inbox with good news. On May 29, I received a link to a press release from the Community College of Rhode Island titled: “CCRI Launches First Cannabis Training Program to Meet Workforce Demands in a Fast-growing Industry.” This is good news indeed. Actually, this is […]
Yarrow Thorne, founder and executive director at The Avenue Concept, recently announced his retirement from the organization after 10 years. His accomplishments are worth celebrating, along with the amazing progress that the non-profit has made, quickly becoming a PVD institution. The mural and public art projects have contributed mightily to the “Creative Capital” vibe of […]
On April 24, 2024, a group of students at Brown University launched a Gaza solidarity encampment, a movement that spread across college campuses across the country and across the globe demanding university divestment from companies that fund the ongoing war in Gaza. One early spring evening, I visited the encampment on the Main Green of […]
This month I spoke with Jennifer Stevens of the RI Commission on Prejudice and Bias, who was kind enough to share how they are working hand-in-hand with law enforcement and members of the general public to create a safer community for all. Richard Laliberte (Motif): Tell our readers about the RI Commission on Prejudice and […]
It appeared to be a straightforward solution initially. With a persistent homelessness crisis and a shortage of affordable housing, Rhode Island devised a plan to swiftly set up tiny pallet shelters as temporary relief for individuals living without housing in Providence. The state purchased 45 of these basic 64-square-foot shelters from a company that constructs […]