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...
The tattoo artist who goes by Mish, of Fall River, MA, created this month’s cover. “I got the nickname when I was younger, and it just kinda stuck,” she says. Also, it stirs a little...
Wine was in his blood. It was a reputation that traced back to the old world, to his grandfather. Dino DeLorenzo’s romantic stories – told over the dinner table in broken English – inspired him as a boy. That night, Dino the Third decided he would also become a winemaker, celebrating his semi-retirement. Even at […]
Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher: Though I don’t indulge in romance often (except when I need a palette cleanser between heavier books), I couldn’t put down Love Redesigned. Asher’s novel follows Julian Lopez and Dahlia Muñoz, two locals from the small town of Lake Wisteria, who share a complicated past. While their families are close, […]
VICTORIA DALPE: Alone in the woods, some of us find solace. In that solace, some of us find fear – afraid of what lurks in the shadows or what lurks within? Victoria Dalpe is a Rhode Island horror writer. She delves into the complexities of our tortured nature in her book series “Selene Shade: Resurrectionist […]
“Spokenword” poetry, an art form steeped in tradition and innovation, has woven its way through the annals of history, echoing the voices of griots, resonating in the streets of Harlem, and pulsating through the beats of rebellious hearts. From its origins in African oral tradition to its modern manifestations in the poetry scene of Providence, […]
Welcome to Motif Magazine’s 2nd annual Spoken Awards! Jay Walker and Scout Lyons bring Rhody After Dark to celebrate Rhode Island’s love of all the spoken crafts and arts. Check out this brief recap of the festivities. Thanks to our sponsors: FundaFest, Rhode Island Black Storytellers, Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading, Myrtle and Burrito […]
In celebration of 91 years of Theatre By The Sea, owner/producer Bill Hanney is presenting the Tony Award-winning musical Tootsie. Making his Theatre By The Sea debut as director and choreographer is NYC/London-based Richard J. Hinds, who served as the associate director on the Broadway productions. He will be joined by Tommy Iafrate, who brings […]
Look to the Stars with Motif‘s Shirley Prisco, bringing you your astrological horoscope for July 2024. Video filmed & edited by Eric Barao (@EricBarao).
I meet cover artist Sophie Foulkes at her roommate’s studio in a converted mill building in Pawtucket. The space is warm, bright. An A/C hums. Sunlight pours through the windows onto two tattoo beds. Tables and desks are set with visual projects — strewn prints and sketches, the beginning stages of ideas. I take a […]
To vote for the 2024 Food Truck Awards, click here. Rhode Island’s food truck scene goes to show how beloved these mobile food carriers really are. These annual awards aim to gather the food truck community in a space that celebrates them while also trying to encapsulate the love and joy the food truck festivals […]
We get excited about the Drink Awards every year in part because the RI brewery and distillery community is so great at bonding together despite any perceived professional rivalries, united in a passion for fermented or distilled greatness. It’s fun to see how the awards play out too, with some stalwarts like Rise and Captain’s […]
