PVD Fest Returns
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. […]
Events:
The Court: Art in Play
September 24, 2025 - April 26, 2026The Flower, The Labor, and The Sea
September 27, 2025 - June 28, 2026
Battle of the… Bands?
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 […]
Paint with a Purpose: AGONZA’s Mural Battle returns to PVDFest to transform public art into political action
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 […]
On the Cover: Naylea Hernández
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 […]
THE STORIES WE TELL DURING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH MATTER
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, […]
September as Suicide Prevention Month
“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 […]
Fact Check — Interpreting Kirk’s shooter: Was Charlie Kirk Murdered for the Lulz? Media misses dark nihilism of on-line culture
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 […]
High Art at a High Price: The cost of living in the Creative Capital
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 […]
Solar Aurora Possible Mon Night: Flares and CME likely to cause G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm
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 […]
Won’t You Raise This Flag With Me
On November 25, 2023, Brown Student and Palestinian-Irish American, Hisham Arwatani, was shot in Burlington, Vermont, while visiting family during his Thanksgiving break. He, alongside two of his friends, was […]