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...
How can you rig a local election? If you’re of my parents’ generation, you might pretend to be a dead person and vote, or spend your free time as a Chicago Democrat filling in empty ballots. I always think of the scene from Gangs of New York, where Leonardo DiCaprio bribes and bullies Irish immigrants […]
Although three of our four local observatories are currently closed to the public, you can still get a glimpse of the stars on Friday nights at Frosty Drew Observatory. The telescopes are available for use about 30 minutes after dusk until around 11pm. Due to COVID restrictions, advance tickets are required. Frosty Drew Observatory, 61-62 […]
“We’ve always made mini-cannolis for the restaurant, but when COVID came, we thought: What’s more fun for families or date night than making cannolis at home?” Jamie Antignano, vice president of Angelo’s Civita Farnese (more affectionately known as “Angelo’s on the Hill”) is referring to their recently released cannoli kit, which is suitable for people […]
In the COVID world, we live online more than ever. Everything has gone virtual, people broadcast events on livestreams and a grid of faces in squares no longer signals “The Brady Bunch” intro theme, but a Zoom meeting. Unexpectedly, social justice has moved online as well. If you’ve watched any protest or direct action online […]
Like superheroes momentarily defeated by a seemingly unbeatable enemy, comic book fans screamed a dramatic, “Nooooooo!” when RI Comic Con announced it was cancelling its November 2020 event. But every superhero fan knows that even if the bad guy wins, his victory is temporary — RI Comic Con will triumphantly return in 2021, and Susan […]
Providence Public Library recently completed a huge renovation, nearly two years in the making, and at the end of August, with strict COVID-related restrictions, they welcomed the public back to their updated space. The welcome will be particularly warm for bikers, thanks to a collaboration between the PPL and The Steel Yard. Jenny Sparks, client […]
It may seem strange to thank a virus that has killed more than 180,000 and hurt millions more. We admit not many are happy with it, except for companies and individuals making good, exorbitant loot from COVID-19, and the Democrats and Chinese who conspired to develop the virus to remove Donald Trump from office. But […]
Skyrocketing in popularity in the last year, TikTok is widely known as an app for Gen Z to learn dances and lip sync along to their favorite songs. For 26-year-old Ashlee Moffitt in West Warwick, it’s the app that got her 11 million views for buying a school bus and planning to live in it. […]
According to the RI Department of Health, Central Falls reported XX COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people for the week that ended August 22 — the most recent data available as we went to press. Central Falls has been a COVID-19 hot spot in Rhode Island, so we spoke with Emily Rizzo, coordinator of communications & […]
The moment my skin pricks with the first crisp snap of fall air, my mind races with all of the fall vegetables and fruits that I can cook with, and the red wines to pair with them. A large portion of those wines comes from Piedmont, Italy, located in the northwest part of the country. […]
