Babylon cover art; band photo; image credits: The Huntress and Holder of Hands At a recent record-release concert in Providence, Rhode Island, MorganEve Swain teased a nearly full house that her band The Huntress and Holder...
Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade. The party doesn't have to end after Halloween weekend. Keep the festivities going with a trip back to the Roaring Twenties when the North American tour of The Great Gatsby...
The 2026 Food Truck Awards are coming up soon – November 10, the day before Veteran’s Day. We’re excited to make it a true industry night – no food trucks will have to serve anything......
Artwork: AMOC by Ewa Romaszewicz in collaboration with Ambarish Karmalkar, PhD. For many of us, our most common run-ins with the scientific disciplines happen in two places: the classroom or a news headline. I think it’s...
What does it feel like to be in a room beaming with creative thinkers and artists? What does it look like when a group of motivational, dedicated, hard-working artists comes together? What creative forces can...
(New Harvest “It’s Party Time” poster; poster design: Britta Gustafson / New Harvest; photo credit: Sean Carlson) Photos by Ampersand Creative Co. From one former industrial site to another, New Harvest Coffee Roasters has expanded from humble...
L-R: President Patrick Canary and Secretary Chris Meringolo. Photo by Scott Barnett. Have you ever wanted to homebrew? Yes? I have great news! The RI Brewing Society is holding a “Learn to Homebrew Day.” The American...
When I sat down on a comfy couch at Big Nice Studio in Carrington, RI, for an interview with Space Cowboy Newt, one of the first things they told me was that they’re a rambler....
A new chapter for digital recording studio, The Proving Ground, has begun and owner and producer, Dylan Titus, is ready to celebrate two-and-a-half years of operation by putting together an event showcasing artists who have...
Okee dokee folks… Soon we should know whether this country is going to completely fall into fascism, erupt into civil war, or maintain democracy, as it should. A few weeks ago, Tom Morello presented the Power...
Swan Point Cemetery. Some of the eeriest places in RI are ready for you to check out, if you dare. As the first crisp, damp breaths of autumn begin to catch at the lungs and the trees...
Open: Rollers: A new sports bar has arrived in Providence as of June 12. Rollers hosts watch parties, serves a variety of diner-style food and drinks, and offers both private and semi-private party events. The spot...
1. Higher Education Facilities Bond Measure -- $275 million This bond would use $165 million to create an integrated health building at the URI campus, open to the public, which would also be used for labs...
For cover artist Mishki Thompson of Hopkinton, love helped her conquer a disability and embark on a journey of learning and practicing the art of beadworking, and passing on her Indigenous traditions to the next...
It’s 2003, Thursday afternoon, in a quiet little town called Eberndorf, in the deep south of Austria, surrounded by fields, trees, and medieval churches; 10-year-old me is in my parents’ living room, glued to the...
Photo by Cat Laine. The logistics, physical, and emotional demands of the production are mind-boggling – one actor spending 80 minutes morphing among 12 characters with unique accents and mannerisms while delivering lines almost non-stop and,...
Henry Nwaru in SAME DIFFERENCE at Wilbury Theatre Group. Photo by Erin X. Smithers. It’s 1993 in Providence. A gang leader from Harlem lands at his ex-girlfriend's apartment in the middle of the night — wounded,...
A reimagined production of the international, award-winning musical The Bodyguard will arrive at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC), October 23 – 25, 2026, as part of the Theatre’s 2026/2027 *Encore Series. Based on the 1992...
All photos by Lillian MK Photo. RI Battle of the Bands had a smooth run this year, every performance dodging the monsoons that have plagued past iterations. The year started out with 16 highly accomplished, but...
Okee dokee folks… I mentioned this in my column a few months ago and now it is coming close to being (IS) a major issue. GASOLINE. Before the mango moron started his war of distraction...
We all know that women were the first to make beer, right? It was discovered by accident when grains were used to make other foods digestible. Dried grain was stored and used to make bread....
Haunted Attractions 1. Factory of Terror Terror experience for all ages, including a variety of imaginative themes and thorough design. 120 Pearl Street, Fall River, MA 774-415-0153 factoryofterror.com 2. Scary Acres Fall festivities with the main attraction - a three-part terror experience...
Cover artist Nilton Cárdenas of Cranston refuses to stand still. “I am constantly moving, and creating art,” he says in an interview at Sharks Peruvian Cuisine on Broad Street in Central Falls. And when he’s not...
Photos by the author. Magda León is more than a multidisciplinary artist; she is an immigrant woman who uses art to explore her identity, her roots, and her connection to community. When I asked her how...
Photo by Scott Lapham. For the Rhode Island artist, educator and muralist, creativity has become a way to open doors, strengthen community and help others discover possibilities within themselves. For Nilton Cárdenas, giving back does not begin...
Every Hispanic Heritage Month, we are given an opportunity to look back.We celebrate the pioneers who came before us, the traditions they preserved, the institutions they built, and the sacrifices they made so generations that...
Photo by Dave Cantelli. Ever rummaged through your spouse’s sweater drawer expecting to find argyles, yet instead stumbling across a secret fetish so utterly demented that it immediately sent you bolting toward a new life? Deftly...
Rachael Warren as Clare. Photo by Mark Turek. If there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, The Getaway Driver at Trinity Repertory Company is it. The world premiere of the two-person play...
Photo by Jesse Dufault. Hark, spectators of the realm! If thy soul doth hunger for a "reverent irreverence" turning a 77-seat black box into a roaring arena of wretched romance, get thee to the Burbage Theatre...
RI Music Hall of Fame plaque honoring Rudy Cheeks/The Fabulous Motels/The Young Adults. (Photo: Michael Bilow) Much has already been written on the passing Sep 18 at age 76 of Bruce McCrae, who used the stage name...
WEDNESDAY, SEP 4, 2024 – 12 DAYS TO DEADLINE On September 4, the editors of Motif Magazine held a meeting with the writers to solicit ideas for the Hispanic Heritage issue. Someone suggested restaurant reviews. To which I responded, “How about a pozole review! I’m kind of passionate about pozole.” The editors always encourage the […]
I am no expert. But it makes sense that your sign and personality affect what you favor in your glass. Whether you’re a fire, earth, air, or water sign, you have your preferences! If you have been less than pleased with your palate choices, perhaps my suggestions will help. Aries: The ram is headstrong. They […]
Okee dokee folks … Some of my favorite lines from a song are “Can you help me remember how to smile? Make it somehow all seem worthwhile. How on Earth did I get so jaded? Life’s mystery seems so faded” from “Runaway Train” by Soul Asylum. I have identified with those lyrics since I first […]
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this piece are those of the artist and not necessarily those of Motif, other writers or staff. Grammy Award Nominee and platinum-selling artist Five for Fighting (aka John Ondrasik) has kicked off his current tour with the October String Quartet, which includes esteemed Broadway musicians, and will perform over two […]
RENZO ARTETA Aquarius and triple air sign! Yes & no. I’m aware of it, relate to a lot of it, but don’t fully buy in or let astrology dictate who I am. My emotions totally affect my moods, and my moods affect my behavior. I feel, I flow. I move quickly, and apologize for my […]
City dwellers with occasional need for a convenient-yet-genuine dose of nature take note: Nineteen minutes from Fox Point, door-to-door, RIPTA #60 brings you to Osamequin Nature Preserve, 42 acres of woods, meadows, and salt marsh that adjoins Walker Farm, a town boat launch facility and an excellent kayak rental enterprise. Spread along Hundred Acre Cove, […]
Rhode Island was founded on intellectual and personal freedom principles by Roger Williams, author of a book banned in England and colonial Massachusetts. Today, RI authors are coming together to uphold our state’s tradition of free speech, which includes the written word. In celebration of Banned Books Week (Sep 22 – 28), the Rhode Island […]
NOAA ALLOCATES $1.5M GRANT TO REMOVE BARGE FROM PROVIDENCE RIVER PROVIDENCE — The sunken barge polluting the Providence River since 2017 will soon be gone. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded a $1.5 million grant to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to remove the 114-foot, crane-topped barge from the river, […]
The stars are our oldest roadmaps. They tell us where we’ve been and where we’re going. They link us to our past and give us hope for the future. They’ve guided sailors during the darkest nights and helped farmers figure out the brightest days. Latin Americans have used the stars to create calendars as far […]
The pantheon of American politics gathered at its proverbial colosseum, ABC studios, on September 10. The night was young, the stakes were high, and Donald Trump was visibly suffering to not let the words to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” escape from his mouth as he shook Kamala Harris’s hand. Good thing she walked […]
