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...
Aries: Personal finances along with very personal thoughts, feelings and all things private occupy you during this period. Mercury in retrograde until after the 14th provides the energy to think things through thoroughly. Once they’re distinct, you can verbalize your thoughts and you find folks around you are willing to listen. Taurus: Relationships, all levels […]
The Atrium on Main hosts Art Battle Pawtucket, part of Art Battle International (ABI), on the first Sunday of every month. This is a fun event where artists from the local area compete to have their artwork showcased and even sold. It’s a night of creativity and excitement as talented artists compete in this live-art […]
“What the state has to offer for a professional system is unmatched in the league. We want to be a force in the American soccer landscape.” – Team President Brett Luy Rhode Island Football Club (RIFC) has had great buzz since the team was announced in 2022. Breaking a United Soccer League (USL) record by […]
Christina Dedora, Cheryl Pynn, Kendra Doe-Mode, and Grace Feisthamel are Rhode Island-based farmers working at Blue Skys Farm, Sanctuary Herbs, Southside Community Land Trust, and Weatherlow Farm, respectively; all recently had their music video debut. Jeff Toste of the Providence-based Detroit Rebellion pitched them the video concept for the band’s song “Hedge Your Bets,” a […]
Rock & Roll Hall of Famers and seminal R&B legends the Four Tops will perform on Friday, May 19 at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, to celebrate seven decades together. They will be joined by fellow Motown labelmates and lifelong friends The Temptations. Duke Fakir is the last remaining founding member of the world-renowned […]
How much ruckus can a Rep Race ruck? In Rhode Island, the answer is a plethora. Following the announced resignation of David Cicilline from the US House of Representatives, more than 312 candidates have joined the fray. From politicians to plumbers, well-wishers to whack-jobs, the field is full – and still growing. “I was first!” […]
Shortly before her 23rd birthday, Hattie Rhodes’ parents invited family and friends to a gathering on a Saturday at 1pm. The gathering was in Hattie’s honor, but it was an invitation to her funeral and not to a birthday celebration. William and Hannah Rhodes lost their only daughter to typhoid fever on December 7, 1870. […]
Dear C, I think that my friend Padma is making a huge mistake, but nothing I say makes a dent. Padma has been married for 12 years and has 3 children, the youngest in his mid-teens. The older kids are in college. She and her husband Mark run a travel agency together. The business is […]
Dear C, There have been a lot of food shortages lately, but at least I can go online and find explanations for it – Avian bird flu, the scarcity of wheat since Russia went ballistic, etc, etc. But one of the oddest shortages is the disappearance of sugar-free hard candy from all of the discount […]
As the saying goes – the more things change, the more they stay the same, and while Trinity Repertory Company’s latest play is set in 1972, its themes may as well be current. Or from 1922. The premier of Jacqueline Lawton’s “Inferior Sex” probes familiar inequalities women and minorities face. But, her writing is poignant […]
