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...
The holidays are near, which means it’s time to go shopping. Here’s an assortment of local spots we visited with something uniquely RI to offer. Taking Stock As a fellow coffee and tea drinker, my eyes were glued to the shelf of tea kettles and coffee pots. The shop sells kitchen supplies and ingredients, including […]
Thinking back about trees and the meaning of the holidays, a warm, fuzzy feeling comes over me. I am a woodcutter’s daughter, and trees have a special meaning and purpose in our lives. During the busy hustle and bustle of the holiday season we forget the true meaning of the Christmas tree. A Christmas tree […]
Over 30 Rhode Island organizations, court workers, and politicians, including the Providence City Council, penned an open letter calling on Governor Daniel McKee, Chief Justice Paul Suttell, and the RI Judiciary to immediately implement virtual court hearings in response to the brutal kidnappings of immigrants by ICE at RI courthouses. These organizations and individuals have […]
Who spit on our cover? The cover art chose itself for this issue, says photographer and printmaker Carey Good of Providence, who created it.“I started etching on three copper plates. Soon, I discarded the biggest of the three. The second plate had a woodsy and pondish feel to it. But with the third scratch plate, […]
If you didn’t stay up until midnight on the night of the TS12 album release, covered in glittery friendship bracelets from the Eras tour and a friend’s small business clinging to both wrists, slightly tipsy after just having lost Taylor Swift trivia night at Trident Books, freshly listening to The Manuscript-and for some reason, ‘I […]
The atmosphere in the room is teemantalizing with excitement. People whisper to their seat neighbors as the lights dim. It’s 30 minutes after 2 pm, the scheduled time of the event’s start, and they’re *still* letting people in as the line curved around the block. I should know, I had to pass through it twice […]
I missed Rhode Island Football Club’s (RIFC) Eastern Conference quarter final game the previous week because I was hosting Punk Rock Marketplace at the Ramada Inn all weekend. I sensed that they had lost after speaking to a bartender wearing an RIFC hoodie. Amid talking about the team and their home games at Centreville Bank […]
Okee dokee folks… “You should never give a drummer a microphone.” This was spoken by drummer Jason Bonham, son of the late John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. Bonham brought his Led Zeppelin Experience to Veterans Auditorium in Providence tonight. But it was a good thing he had a microphone. The show was much more than […]
Sponsored Content The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) announces that the North American tour of the hit Broadway musical WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is coming to PPAC Tuesday, December 2 to Sunday, December 7, 2025. The Providence engagement of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is part of the Taco and The White Family Foundation Broadway Series. Tickets for […]
Scientific models forecasting the upcoming winter season are driven mostly by observations of such factors as Pacific Ocean temperature, since weather moves from west to east across the continental United States. It has been known for more than a century that worldwide seasonal phenomena were correlated with trade winds and ocean water temperature, controlling the […]
