High Wind, Heavy Rain Fri – Mon: Flooding possible near south coast

High Wind Warning in effect from September 25, 08:00 AM EDT until September 27, 08:00 AM EDT Coastal Flood Advisory in effect from September 25, 05:00 PM EDT until September 27, 08:00 PM EDT Storm Warning in...

WONDER OF THE WORLD: More Than One Wrong Way To Take The Plunge!

Photo by Dave Cantelli. Ever rummaged through your spouse’s sweater drawer expecting to find argyles, yet instead stumbling across a secret fetish so utterly demented that it immediately sent you bolting toward a new life? Deftly...

Getaway: Drives too slowly, but gets you there

Rachael Warren as Clare. Photo by Mark Turek. If there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, The Getaway Driver at Trinity Repertory Company is it. The world premiere of the two-person play...

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING: Or Maybe Malicious Melancholy, Masked Revelry And Tongue Fencing

Photo by Jesse Dufault. Hark, spectators of the realm! If thy soul doth hunger for a "reverent irreverence" turning a 77-seat black box into a roaring arena of wretched romance, get thee to the Burbage Theatre...

Rudy Cheeks — Passing of a True RI Icon: A personal perspective and remembrance

RI Music Hall of Fame plaque honoring Rudy Cheeks/The Fabulous Motels/The Young Adults. (Photo: Michael Bilow) Much has already been written on the passing Sep 18 at age 76 of Bruce McCrae, who used the stage name...

Grinding On: Changing gears on the espresso machine at Crook Point Brewing Company

Crook Point Brewing Company, 65 Massasoit Ave., East Providence; photo credit: Sean Carlson Over the past year, The Grind has gleamed as one of Rhode Island’s coffee gems. Set up at Crook Point Brewing Company (65...

Four Things You May Not Know About the Award-winning Comedy Musical, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical 

Natasha Hodgson in the Broadway Company of Operation Mincemeat. Photo by Matt Crockett. The Tony Award® and Olivier Award®-winning musical launches the North American leg of its world tour at the Providence Performing Arts Center September...

You've Still Got a Friend: Theater by the Sea presents a rousing world premiere tribute

Hunter Brown, Allie Seibold, and Seth Eliser in You've Still Got a Friend, playing at Bill Hanney's Theatre By The Sea from August 20 - September 13, 2026. Photo by Michael Derr Okee dokee folks… Tonight, at Theatre By The...

They didn’t strike, they picketed: Local librarians find a new way to educate the public.

Photo by Steve Ahlquist. The unionized workers of the Community Libraries of Providence have been without a contract for two years now. Their patience, which had been wearing thin, was stretched to the breaking point by...

Flickers 44: Celebrating film from around the world and right here in the Ocean State

Photo: L-R: Pénélope Rose, Manya Glassman, Emeline Easton, and K. Elisa Garcia. by Mike Ryan. The Rhode Island International Film Festival, also known as Flickers, took place August 4 through August 9, bringing filmmakers, actors, industry...

Welcome to the Neighborhood: RI’s Newest Black-Operated Museum

I think museums and the culture around them have historically gotten a bad rap. When you think of museums, you might associate them with classism, inaccessibility, and wealthy donors and patrons. There’s also the issue...

Lawn Beers to Harvest Cheers: Summer's Last Pours to Autumn's Fresh Taps

As the leaves change to amber hues, so do fall beers. Our local brewers are excited about the opportunity to offer these loved styles of craft beer. If you are looking forward to cozy sweaters...

Fall Happenings Map

Illustration by Sadie Levine. 1. Adams Farm (pumpkins, hay rides, corn mazes) Plus: Variety fall farm stand 158 Burnt Swamp Road, Cumberland 401-714-4425 2. Appleland Orchard (apples) Plus: Cider, wine, and donuts 135 Smith Avenue, Greenville 401-949-3690 3.  Barden Family Orchard (apples, pumpkins) Plus: Farmers...

Roots Report

Okee dokee folks… I just realized that I have been attending concerts for 50 years now. In that span of time I have seen countless shows. I honestly have no idea how many I have...

YourFriendM00n Wants You to Know You’re Not Alone

Moon Leone didn’t set out to make your run-of-the-mill pop songs. They build whole worlds, embodying different characters and using visuals to tell stories that ultimately help people heal from trauma. Performing as YourFriendM00n, they...

Art Focused Forum

On August 12, Motif cohosted a forum on the Arts in Providence featuring Democratic Primary Mayoral candidates Brett Smiley and David Morales. In Providence, the real election typically happens in the primary. The winner will go...

In Their Own Words: 2026

Every election cycle, Motif brings you the candidates in their own words so you can try to compare apples to apples. It’s our way of contributing to the political process while not having the fact-checking...

ecoRI News Roundup

Environmental Organizations Endorse Foulkes for Governor PROVIDENCE — The Providence Streets Coalition, a grassroots activist organization devoted to increasing funding, safety, and reliability in the state’s transit network, announced July 21 that it is backing former...

ON THE COVER: Nicholas "Niko" Tolentino

For the cover of Motif’s Fall Guide, painter and muralist Nicholas “Niko” Tolentino of Cranston drew inspiration from his childhood days, he relates in an interview at White Electric Coffee Co-Op in Providence. Roger Williams Park...

No Concert is an Island

Centerville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket hosted its first live music event in August. It started big with the Island Roads Fest, featuring popular reggae/ rock bands including Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, Iration, Action Bronson, DENM, Bumpin...

Tatting at the Convention Center

Stepping into a tattoo convention without a tattoo or an array of piercings can be intimidating, like stepping into a gallery show without reading the title first. Aside from a pair of basic ear studs,...

Arts Focus Forum

August 12, 6:30 - 8:30 PM Southside Cultural Center - 393 Broad Street, Providence What do the candidates for Mayor of Providence have in mind for the future of arts engagement in the “Creative Capital”? Find...

MEOWS, MALTS, DOGS AND DRAFTS: Have a pint to rescue a paw

Can art by Joey Visco  Dogs and drafts? Is there any better way to celebrate yappy hour? If you are an animal and craft beer lover, this is an event you do not want to miss!...

NOW IT’S OUR TURN: Local team seeks to keep up positive momentum from World Cup

Photo by Sindayiganza Photography. The FIFA World Cup tournament was full of thrills, drama, chaos, unity, and live television shots of devastated children in tears after their team lost a heartbreaking match. The final whistle brought...

Boatload of music: Titanic drama

Matthew Provençal as Thomas Andrews in ‘Titanic: The Broadway Musical’ at Bill Hanney's Theatre By The Sea July 23 – August 15, 2026. Photo by Mark Turek. The challenge to staging a production of “Titanic: The...

2026 Tattoo Awards Gallery Wall

The Tattoo Awards featured a gallery wall populated by local artists. Here is a selection of the artwork on display! By Brianne Elizabeth @foxhallowart By Victori Leo Riel Grab Your Heart & Go by Allie Boyer @peaceflowercreations MONSTROELIZASUE by...

BTS with DMK: Lily Spencer

Photo by Jess Lee Images. I met Lily Spencer in an acting class taught by Eric Lutes, whom many television fans will remember from the 1990s sitcom “Caroline in the City.” Eric, who now lives in...

2026 Tattoo Award Winners

Rachel WS. Favorite Animal/ Favorite Floral Tara D’Agostino – Iron Lion Tattoo By the numbers, Tara D’Agostino got her first tattoo at the age of 15, picked up her own tattoo machine at the age of 19, opened...

The Long Game: River Shook Arrives Home

Photo by Jillian Clark. ​There’s no feeling quite like finally being able to fully step into your own, to truly embrace your whole self and carry yourself through the world with that mentality. Not an identity...

Roots Report

Kai Nanfelt. Okee dokee folks… Last weekend I went on a ten-hour, each way, road trip to play a show. The drive wasn’t so bad, but the music was horrible. As I have mentioned before, I...

Stuff to Do

In-Person Education to Resume: A summary of the governor’s June 10 press conference

Governor Gina Raimondo, DOH director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, and Rhode Island commissioner of education Angelica Infante-Green gave the COVID-19 press briefing today at 1pm from The Vets Auditorium. DOH reports 66 new cases of the coronavirus today. Dr. Alexander-Scott noted the past few days they had been reporting fewer than 100 cases each day. There […]

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RI Leads the Nation in COVID-19 Testing: Summary of the governor’s June 8 press conference

Governor Gina Raimondo and DOH director Dr. Nicole Alexander Scott gave the COVID-19 press briefing today at 1pm. The governor today said Rhode Island’s COVID data was still trending in the right direction. DOH reports 51 new cases since yesterday. The Ocean State has the highest rate of testing per capita in the nation, with […]

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Page Turners: Essential reading for steps toward being anti-racist

It’s a popular social media trend, lists of book recommendations dealing with anti-racism. You’re probably familiar with their contents, The Color of Law, White Fragility, Audre Lorde, Ta Neesi-Coates, with some fiction by Zora Neale Huston or Toni Morrison for good measure. I’m male and pale, so I can’t speak to whether a list of […]

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Governor Urges Residents to Exercise Their Rights while Exercising Caution Regarding the Coronavirus: Summary of the governor’s June 5 press conference

Governor Gina Raimondo, DOH director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott and DoA director Brett Smiley gave the COVID press briefing today at 1pm. DOH reports 113 new cases of COVID-19 since yesterday. There are 182 people hospitalized statewide with the novel disease; 37 of those people are in the ICU and 23 people are on ventilators. The […]

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Solidarity Is the New Thoughts and Prayers: People want solutions over slogans

Our social media feeds are peppered with them — empty statements from politicians, attempting and failing to placate citizens tired of police brutality: “I call on each of us to come together in unity,” says one.  “We stand tall against discrimination and brutality,” says another. “I see you, I hear you, and I stand with […]

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#LovedOnes

They say If it’s not on FacebookIt didn’t happenEven though I am not seeing itI’m pretty sure it’s happening We keep sayingNever againUntil the next hash tagDigitally memorializesThe next Black nameSlainBy blue bullets I can’t watch another videoWe shouldn’t have to hash tagAnother fatherHashtag daughterHashtag love one And they don’t get itThey say shit likeWhat […]

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Raimondo Committed to Making Healthcare More Affordable: Summary of the governor’s June 4 press conference

Governor Gina Raimondo, Dr. James McDonald from RIDOH and DoA director Brett Smiley gave the COVID-19 press briefing today at 1pm. The data for Rhode Island is as follows: 100 new cases of COVID, and 185 people are hospitalized, 42 are in the ICU, and 29 people are on ventilators. DOH reported 14 new deaths […]

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