Stars With Shirley: March 2024
Look to the Stars with Motif‘s Shirley Prisco, bringing you your astrological horoscope for March 2024. Video filmed & edited by Eric Barao (@EricBarao).
2026 Tattoo Awards Winners
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...
2026 Spoken Awards Photos
By Lillian MK Photography By Olivia Lunger ...
Spoken Award Winners 2026
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...
SUMMER THEATER PREVIEW: There’s no shortage of summertime fare at R.I. community theaters and professional playhouses
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...
Godzilla: 70 Years of Fame, Misunderstandings, & Property Damage
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...
Summer Fun Map
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...
OEight at Track 15
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...
Roots Report
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...
Wild Rock Dove: The new Ravi Shavi record and its want to “Misbehave”
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...
Why ask Can You Go Home?
“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...
2026 Music Award Winner Writeups
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...
The Wait Is Over … Disney’s The Lion King returns to the Providence Performing Arts Center
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...
MEASURE FOR MEASURE: What Would You Wouldn’t Do?
“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...
Town Hall Unites Community: Everyone hates an AI data center
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...
Mindfully Thermia: How a new local restaurant inspires its patrons to take it slow
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...
Summer is Happening: Here's what you don't want to miss
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...
Rent Destabilization: Providence City Council fails to override Mayor Smiley's rent stabilization veto, but the fight is not over
“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...
ON THE COVER: Chenlu Hou
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...
News Analysis – Iran War Update: The world faces deadlines only weeks away
[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...
MOTIF’S 2026 RI SPOKEN AWARDS
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...
KIMBERLY AKIMBO is Playing at PPAC Now Through May 10 and It May Just Be “Your New Favorite Musical” (Hollywood Reporter)
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...
A Time Capsule from the 90s in 2026: ‘92 Winona and their Punk Inspiration
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...
John Faraone's Newest Record, The Waves: How his kid brain allowed for the art of self-expression
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....
Roots Report
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...
Impossible Tasks: On fifth album, Adynata, Vudu Sister burnishes hope in the darkness
(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...
You Don’t Have To Go Far: Providence’s Gallery Night shows the art was here all along
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...
MAKING POINTS WITH THE MOTTS
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...
First things first: Rhode Island's 250th anniversary on May 4 celebrates something important, we just aren't sure what.
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...
Pothole Construction Season a Sign of Spring: RI DOT seeks public help finding where to repair
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...
ON THE COVER: Mish
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...
Stuff to Do
2024 Motif’s RI Spoken Awards
Winners announced below. Tuesday April 9 6 – 10pm Myrtle, East PVD Last year, Motif introduced a new event celebrating spoken art forms. This April, the Spoken Awards return with categories embracing storytelling, poetry, spoken word, and stand-up comedy. The names below were nominated by 20 local organizations that book performers in these various disciplines […]
2024 Motif RI Tattoo Awards
Winners have been listed below. Save the date! Come out to Narragansett Brewery for our Tattoo Awards spotlighting the best in local tattoo talent. Expect live tattooing, free Hi Neighbor tatts, raffles, an awards ceremony, a tattoo model contest, and as always, some surprises! Hosted by season 2 “Ink Masters” winner Steven Tefft of 12 […]
On The Cover: Fu’una
A cyan sky swirls luminescent around pink daffodil trumpets and petals that curl and stretch skyward as a pipevine swallowtail comes to rest, its metallic blue hindwing shimmers above its characteristic orange dots. Yanggen un tånom, siempre dokko, created using soft pastels by artist Fu’una, is Chamoru for: If you plant it, it will grow. […]
Neon Spring: An interview with Nick McKnight of Night Light Neon
Walking into Nick McKnight’s neon studio in Providence, I immediately see the signature glow of neon. The studio, Night Light Neon, is warmer than the warehouse-type building it is housed in. The signs are kicking off heat. There is a sign on the opposite wall that demonstrates the different colors of neon in two columns, […]
Micro to Macro: Composting guide and resources
Would you still love me if I was a worm? A timeless question made to keep couples at odds. Understandably, worms at a surface level do not seem like the ideal muses, but that shouldn’t diminish their wiggly cuteness, general chillness, and importance in nature. I would still love you! The day-to-day life of a […]
Waste Not Want Not: A conversation with chef Alison Mountford about America’s food resources
The rectangle of light from the open fridge illuminates the darkening kitchen. Behind its doors stands a woman with glazed over eyes, staring into an abyss of options. She releases a sigh of exasperation. It is a sigh of exasperation heard across the country, at the end of the work day, as we all trudge […]
Pawtucket’s Shea Fashion Show: Bringing students together in style
In 2010, Will Lopera was a senior at Charles E. Shea High School of Pawtucket. During an internship class, nobody could find an internship for him, so Lopera took matters into his own hands: he asked if he could host a fashion show event instead. Lopera was inspired to create an entertainment consortium that went […]
Bees Please!: Spring is bee season
It was mid-October, not exactly a beach day, when Jim Turenne suited up for a marine rescue mission. Not a bathing suit, but a bee suit. “Rescue on the Rocks, Jamestown-style,” announced Turenne, chief beekeeper for Conanicut Island Land Trust and Jamestown bee chaser. Turenne was called to the East Ferry shore to investigate a […]
EcoRI News Roundup: Compiled by Bonnie Phillips/EcoRI News
BILL WOULD INJECT $16 MILLION INTO GREEN ECONOMY BOND PROVIDENCE — State lawmakers and environmental groups are teaming up to plug a funding gap and save Rhode Island’s land conservation programs. A bill introduced by Rep. Megan Cotter, D-Exeter, would inject $16 million into this year’s Green Economy Bond to fund four separate programs to […]