Hunter Brown, Allie Seibold, and Seth Eliser in You've Still Got a Friend, playing at Bill Hanney's Theatre By The Sea from August 20 - September 13, 2026. Photo by Michael Derr Okee dokee folks… Tonight, at Theatre By The...
Photo by Steve Ahlquist. The unionized workers of the Community Libraries of Providence have been without a contract for two years now. Their patience, which had been wearing thin, was stretched to the breaking point by...
Photo: L-R: Pénélope Rose, Manya Glassman, Emeline Easton, and K. Elisa Garcia. by Mike Ryan. The Rhode Island International Film Festival, also known as Flickers, took place August 4 through August 9, bringing filmmakers, actors, industry...
I think museums and the culture around them have historically gotten a bad rap. When you think of museums, you might associate them with classism, inaccessibility, and wealthy donors and patrons. There’s also the issue...
As the leaves change to amber hues, so do fall beers. Our local brewers are excited about the opportunity to offer these loved styles of craft beer. If you are looking forward to cozy sweaters...
Illustration by Sadie Levine. 1. Adams Farm (pumpkins, hay rides, corn mazes) Plus: Variety fall farm stand 158 Burnt Swamp Road, Cumberland 401-714-4425 2. Appleland Orchard (apples) Plus: Cider, wine, and donuts 135 Smith Avenue, Greenville 401-949-3690 3. Barden Family Orchard (apples, pumpkins) Plus: Farmers...
Okee dokee folks… I just realized that I have been attending concerts for 50 years now. In that span of time I have seen countless shows. I honestly have no idea how many I have...
Moon Leone didn’t set out to make your run-of-the-mill pop songs. They build whole worlds, embodying different characters and using visuals to tell stories that ultimately help people heal from trauma. Performing as YourFriendM00n, they...
On August 12, Motif cohosted a forum on the Arts in Providence featuring Democratic Primary Mayoral candidates Brett Smiley and David Morales. In Providence, the real election typically happens in the primary. The winner will go...
Every election cycle, Motif brings you the candidates in their own words so you can try to compare apples to apples. It’s our way of contributing to the political process while not having the fact-checking...
Environmental Organizations Endorse Foulkes for Governor PROVIDENCE — The Providence Streets Coalition, a grassroots activist organization devoted to increasing funding, safety, and reliability in the state’s transit network, announced July 21 that it is backing former...
For the cover of Motif’s Fall Guide, painter and muralist Nicholas “Niko” Tolentino of Cranston drew inspiration from his childhood days, he relates in an interview at White Electric Coffee Co-Op in Providence. Roger Williams Park...
Centerville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket hosted its first live music event in August. It started big with the Island Roads Fest, featuring popular reggae/ rock bands including Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, Iration, Action Bronson, DENM, Bumpin...
Stepping into a tattoo convention without a tattoo or an array of piercings can be intimidating, like stepping into a gallery show without reading the title first. Aside from a pair of basic ear studs,...
August 12, 6:30 - 8:30 PM Southside Cultural Center - 393 Broad Street, Providence What do the candidates for Mayor of Providence have in mind for the future of arts engagement in the “Creative Capital”? Find...
Heat Advisory in effect from August 6, 11:00 AM EDT until August 7, 08:00 PM EDT At Providence, a Heat Advisory is effective Thu, Aug 6, 11am, to Fri, Aug 7, 8pm. Afternoon temperatures/heat indices are...
Can art by Joey Visco Dogs and drafts? Is there any better way to celebrate yappy hour? If you are an animal and craft beer lover, this is an event you do not want to miss!...
Photo by Sindayiganza Photography. The FIFA World Cup tournament was full of thrills, drama, chaos, unity, and live television shots of devastated children in tears after their team lost a heartbreaking match. The final whistle brought...
Matthew Provençal as Thomas Andrews in ‘Titanic: The Broadway Musical’ at Bill Hanney's Theatre By The Sea July 23 – August 15, 2026. Photo by Mark Turek. The challenge to staging a production of “Titanic: The...
The Tattoo Awards featured a gallery wall populated by local artists. Here is a selection of the artwork on display! By Brianne Elizabeth @foxhallowart By Victori Leo Riel Grab Your Heart & Go by Allie Boyer @peaceflowercreations MONSTROELIZASUE by...
Photo by Jess Lee Images. I met Lily Spencer in an acting class taught by Eric Lutes, whom many television fans will remember from the 1990s sitcom “Caroline in the City.” Eric, who now lives in...
Rachel WS. Favorite Animal/ Favorite Floral Tara D’Agostino – Iron Lion Tattoo By the numbers, Tara D’Agostino got her first tattoo at the age of 15, picked up her own tattoo machine at the age of 19, opened...
Photo by Jillian Clark. There’s no feeling quite like finally being able to fully step into your own, to truly embrace your whole self and carry yourself through the world with that mentality. Not an identity...
Kai Nanfelt. Okee dokee folks… Last weekend I went on a ten-hour, each way, road trip to play a show. The drive wasn’t so bad, but the music was horrible. As I have mentioned before, I...
Photo by Isaac Laliberte Wards 2, 9 and 12 all report the same. Mendez wins in each! It appeared that Providence was perfectly poised to usher-in its first female mayor in history. The polls were closed and...
“You’re late, Brother,” she said, hovering outside the weathered cottage near a pebbly beach, indistinguishable from the shadows cast by moonlight that hit the thick hydrangeas. It was late in the evening of a seawind-chilled...
The NecronomiCon is a biennial celebration of the works of HP Lovecraft and beyond, and throughout the genre of “weird fiction.” Centered in downtown Providence, it boasts four days of literary panels, readings from various...
It’s almost Cthulhu – pardon my hiccup, I meant, “election” – season again. And if the tactics of these times don’t make your head swim and your bowls ache, as if you were being eviscerated...
When cover artist Bob Eggleton of Warwick first got interested in art and started sketching nightmarish creatures, he recalls, an aunt asked him, “What’s drawing a monster gonna get you in life?” He’s spent the last...
Skyler Shields (Kenickie) and the cast of the Theatre By The Sea (Wakefield, RI) production of “Grease” running thru July 18, 2026. Photo by Mark Turek. “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop! A-wop-bam-boom!” BY ALISON O’DONNELL ON JUNE 27, 2026 Grease is the...
After the heartbreaking loss of their dear friend Mike Schiavone, friends Kimi Hallman, Rory Quinn, and Jess Salemi Sinclair embarked on a heartfelt mission to honor their friend by hosting an annual Schiavone Festival. This endeavor began in 2021, shortly after Mike’s passing, and has since evolved into a vibrant celebration of music, community, and […]
Look to the Stars with Motif‘s Shirley Prisco, bringing you your astrological horoscope for June 2024. Video filmed & edited by Eric Barao (@EricBarao).
Welcome to Motif Magazine’s Music Awards! This year Jack Downey brings you backstage with award winners at the 2024 Motif Music Awards show, a night of fun and entertainment with some of Rhode Island’s most talented musicians. Special Thanks to Fete Music Hall for hosting & sponsoring, and to our other sponsors: Smoke Lab […]
The Wilbury Theatre Group presents the Tony Award-winning musical Once, with book by Irish Playwright Enda Walsh, featuring music/lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. This production is directed by Josh Short, with music direction by Milly Massey. The cast features Nile Hawver and Alison Russo in the roles of Guy and Girl, and an ensemble of actor / musicians including Chelsea Aubert, Zan Berry, Jose […]
“When I learned that this was going to be the summer cover, I immediately got excited thinking about bright summery colors, animal characters in sunglasses, and summertime treats like ice cream and lemonade,” explains Valerie Nelson, local graphic designer, illustrator, and visual artist who created this Summer Guide’s cover art. Drawing under a rainbow sherbert […]
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 […]
On Thursday, May 16, at the Rhode Island State House, the Cannabis Policy Coalition, composed of Rhode Island small business owners, cannabis licensees, medical patients and professionals, university professors, concerned citizens, and aspiring cannabis business owners, hosted a press conference with Representative Leonela Felix in support of House Bill H7855. This bill aims to level […]
WATERFIRE Various Dates Apr – NovA fixture of Rhode Island summers, WaterFire presents a series of lightings in downtown PVD along the Providence River. For those who have not yet ventured to the famed attraction, the event features fires lit in braziers built to stand above the surface of the PVD river — when lit, […]
Founded by Susan Cat Collyer and Judith Clinton, the RI Theatre Makers Roundtable is what it sounds like: A literal table around which rousing discussion takes place, but also a figurative table, because there is no shortage of seating, everyone is welcome to pull up a “chair.” Regular meetings occur on the third Thursday of […]
Doing a Block Island retreat. Touring the East Bay Bike Path. Exploring some of the state’s 266 hiking trails and numerous world-class gardens. Lounging on the beaches that dot over 400 miles of coastline. Experiencing WaterFire and other invigorating outdoor art installations. These are the things that make summer in the Ocean State so enjoyable. […]
