By Olivia Lunger By Lillian MK Photography ...
Favorite Color Tattoo Evan Olin, Powerline Tattoo Runner-up: Luis Bold, Unicorn Ink Favorite Black & Gray Ryan Dowden, Dark Ritual Runner-up: Luis Bold, Unicorn Ink Favorite Black & Gray with Color Steven McDonough, Secret Safe Tattoo Runner-up: Rachel WS, Rachel WS Fine Art...
By Lillian MK Photography By Olivia Lunger ...
Photo by Lillian MK Photography. Favorite Free Verse Spoken Word Ashley HosaRunner-up: Jeff Daniellian Favorite Social Justice Spoken Word Erik AndradeRunner-up: Mx Asher Favorite Youth Poet Angel CruzRunner-up: (by one vote) Josselyn Wolf Favorite Poetry Event Apothica's Monthly Poetry NightRunner-up: Afroverse Favorite...
Congratulations, you survived the record-breaking Blizzard of 2026. With the anticipated arrival of clear skies and warm temps, how will you be spending your well-earned, much-needed downtime this summer? If you’re adventurous, you could explore some of...
Artwork by Bob Eggleton. Godzilla has been a cinematic icon for over 70 years. However, there are important themes around the monster that have gotten lost with international audiences. There is no gigantic monster that has had...
Tie-dye by Spun Laundry. BEACHES Atlantic Beach Park: Family beach, amusements, kiddy rides, snack bars, antique 1915 carousel, batting cages, bumper boats, go-carts, mini golf, game room, waterslides, gift shop, beachware and an ocean-view cocktail lounge. 321...
Photos by Lillian Karboski. Every time you listen to a song, there is always something more than the words or catchy melody. On Friday, May 1, right in the heart of downtown Providence, an extraordinary group...
Okee dokee folks… Rising costs of everything is what’s on my mind this month. It really should be on everyone’s mind. The main things I will talk about here are gasoline and concert tickets. One...
Photo: Christopher Mongeau. Ravi Shavi, a band that has been around since 2011 and started as a moniker for Rafay Rashid’s music project, has evolved and become more rooted in its creative approach and performance, as...
“Can I go to X?” is the question 2 Feet 2 Bucks has answered with “Yes” dozens of times, where X = place worth going out of your way to, to take a walk, short...
Artist of the Year: Favorite Song: Favorite Music Video: NOVA ONE; "chlorine" by NOVA ONE; "chlorine" - NOVA ONE (Dir. Frankie Ferrari) nova one: “nova won!” Providence’s own nova one won (!!) four 2026 Motif Music Awards: “artist...
Photo by Matthew Murphy. The North American tour of Disney’s The Lion King last played the Providence Performing Arts Center in 2017. After nearly ten years, The Lion King is back astounding Providence for a limited...
“Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). This is the core theme behind William Shakespeare's darkest comedy, Measure for Measure, one of Shakespeare’s most exciting, underperformed and underappreciated plays, currently presented by Burbage...
Smithfield, RI: A town known for its forests, trails, ponds, and well, wealth. An unlikely location for a potential AI-Data Center, one may think. Yet, this rural community, despite data center construction being illegal under...
This is the story of visiting Providence’s newest Rotisserie and Bistro, Thermia, and being so intrigued by its menu and feeling so welcomed by the staff, that I went twice in one week! To give...
Check out extensive listings for every show we could find this season. But some are bigger or just fundamentally represent summer in our eclectic, hyperactive, tiny-yet-overachieving state. Here’s a selection of special events to keep...
“Industry wants us to believe the sky will fall if there’s reform," said Council President Rachel Miller. "But for working families, the sky is already falling..." Council President Rachel Miller (Ward 13) “In front of you is...
The eggplant piece featured on the cover of Motif is the first completed work in Chenlu Hou’s Garden series, making it a perfect fit for this issue’s theme of Summer. A low-fire terracotta sculpture, airbrushed and...
[See prior update: motifri.com/iran-war-update-01] The Iran war cannot continue as it is for much longer, and this is a result of simple math. Time is running out for energy and food supply US Consumer Price Index for All...
Voting is now closed -- Join us to see who was selected Wednesday, May 276 – 10pmMyrtle, East Providence Join us for the 4th annual Motif Spoken Awards! We are excited to be returning to Myrtle to celebrate RI’s spoken word...
Ann Morrison and Marcus Phillips in the National Tour of KIMBERLY AKIMBO. Photo by Joan Marcus KIMBERLY AKIMBO is a musical with a lot of heart, a lot of wit, and a lot of rave reviews...
Processed with VSCO with 6 preset When Steve DelMonico (vocals/guitar) approached John Faraone (drums) with an impossibly unique band name, there was no way of knowing that 10 years later they’d be sitting at Nolan’s with...
Photo: Dave Rezendes. John Faraone: a man of many bands, many instruments, and one poetic voice. While John wouldn’t call himself a poet, I certainly believe that his lyrics are simply stanzas waiting to be printed....
Photo by James Brooks. Okee dokee folks… I have referenced the Jethro Tull song, “Too Old to Rock & Roll, Too Young to Die,” A few times in my 22 years of writing for Motif, and...
(Photo credit: Keith J.G. McCurdy, from the cover art of Vudu Sister’s Adynata; photograph of the art installation LO SGUARDO - Humanitas - Physis by sculptor Igor Mitoraj at the Neopolis Archaeological Park of Siracusa...
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...
Buddy Mott. 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...
The actual declaration of Independence was first proclaimed to the people of Newport from this building in July 1776. (Photo by Maureen O'Gorman) It doesn't take long for a person new to Rhode Island to find...
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...
Editor’s note: This is the latest Hummel Spotlight, a feature focusing on people and organizations making a difference in the community. It is a Wednesday night just after dark. And while the Madeline Rogers Recreation Center off Chalkstone Avenue in Providence looks quiet from the outside, it is anything but on the inside, as hundreds […]
If you drive along West Main Road in Portsmouth there’s a good chance you might miss it. But later this month, a nondescript, converted auto body shop will become Rhode Island’s newest dispensary for patients authorized to purchase medical marijuana. The Greenleaf Compassion Center becomes the second of three authorized by the Rhode Island Department […]
In this week’s Tuesday edition, I reviewed the entrancing new EP from Sara Azriel. After enduring a decade of not having a user-friendly Motif website, I may be glutton because now I’m apparently trying to throw as much stuff as possible on the interwebs. I did an interview with Sara Azriel about the new […]
The dastardly veil of winter has finally rolled back, and the arrival of long, warm and sunny days means many different things to Rhode Islanders. For some, it means the start of numerous lazy hours spent on the beaches of Newport and Narragansett. For others, backyard barbeques and games of corn hole. But for many […]
Marijuana reform has become one of the most significant topics in recent US politics. For the first time in decades, national polls show that a majority of Americans (52% to be exact) support marijuana reform and believe that its use should be made legal. Over the past 15 years, we have witnessed the District of […]
Anthony Demings, owner of the Brooklyn Coffee Teahouse in Providence, Rhode Island, is pleased to announce his film Children of the Asylum (COTa) will have its world premiere at the Columbus Theatre on Broadway on Saturday, April 27, 2013, at 5:30 pm along with other great short films at the SENE Film, Music & Art […]
With the passing of 2013’s National Poetry month, I mourn the random email notifications that there is a poetic happening within moments from where I’m standing, all of my poet friends engaging in a NaPoMo 30/30 (that’s when people commit to writing a poem a day for 30 days) , and most of all, the […]
I’ve been known to plan entire vacations around street art. Give me a dilapidated building and a dusting of spray paint, and I’m putty in the hands of the graffiti gods. One aspect of Lisbon that originally drew me to the city is its wealth of murals, most of which marry architectural details with carefully crafted […]
Tony Jones & The Cretin 3 Win the WXIN Rock Hunt Rhode Island College’s WXIN Rock Hunt wrapped at Fete last Friday, and what a scene it was as the confetti rained down in Olneyville! Tony Jones & The Cretin 3 triumphed after a journey four years in the making. Think about it – there […]
Aries: Money issues come to a head this week. Beneath it all there is some deep soul searching going on as recent events have made you feel threatened and undermined your sense of security. You are realizing that you may have acted rashly without thinking things through. Things get very emotional. Before you make major […]
