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...
Okee dokee folks… Forty seven years ago, July 4, 1976, I saw Elton John at Schaffer Stadium in Foxboro, MA. To date this is the biggest concert I have ever attended. As I recall there were 80,000 people there. I could be wrong, it was a long time ago. I was a huge Elton John […]
Sponsored Post Brown excels at many fields, but some of its most exciting work is in mathematics. As the Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics reported, mathematicians and other researchers situated at the Providence institution have been part of astonishing research advances, and are continually looking for new bright minds to help contribute further. […]
Nine sites in RI will be open to visitors for the annual amateur “ham” radio Field Day this weekend, Jun 24-25, 2023. Details about each of these sites and contact information for the groups running them are available — arrl.org/field-day-locator — on the web. Amateur “ham” radio is often the last line of communications in […]
Dear C, I couldn’t believe it when my daughter told me, but I looked it up online and it’s true – scientists are actually using psychedelic drugs to treat patients with psychiatric disorders! I did acid twice back in the 60s as a teen, but from what I experienced, it seems like tripping would drive […]
Stillwater Books, which opened in Pawtucket in March 2018, will move this summer to a new location in West Warwick, according to Steven R. Porter who co-owns the business with his wife Dawn M. Wright-Porter. It was the first retail bookstore to open in Pawtucket for decades, and after its closing the city will again […]
Okee dokee folks… On June 11, the Providence Performing Arts Center hosted a stop of the John Mellencamp Live and In Person 2023 tour. I first saw John COUGAR about 44 years ago as an opening act for Heart. Back then I was not impressed and didn’t care much for the pompous performance of this […]
The number of primary care physicians in the US today is dwindling. Nearly a third of the population lacks access to primary care and those numbers are only going to rise – a shortage of more than 52,000 primary care physicians is anticipated by 2025. I spoke with Dr. E, a primary care doctor who […]
RI law (§17-12.1-1) ordinarily requires the presidential preference primary election to be held on the fourth Tuesday in April of each presidential election year, but in 2024 that would fall on the first day of the Jewish holiday of Passover (Pesach), the day immediately following the Seder held the prior sunset. An eight-day holiday in […]
Motif’s RI Bartender Ball is a chance to celebrate the incredible people who keep our glasses full from behind the bar. There is an awards ceremony with categories ranging from Favorite Cocktail Bartender, Bartender as Therapist, Local Icon, to Best Multitasker and Sassiest Bartender. In between the awards there are live bartending competitions put on […]
If you cast your mind back, back, beyond COVID-brain and our seismic societal shifts of the last few years, you might remember that Motif came out twice a month. That was more work and more expensive, but it was also lovely because not all shows, events and experiences know their details more than a month […]
