Bands Battle Fiercely in Great Weather

By Lillian MK Photo. RI Battle of the Bands had a smooth run this year, every performance dodging the monsoons that have plagued past iterations. The year started out with 16 highly accomplished, but not necessarily...

Roots Report

Okee dokee folks… I mentioned this in my column a few months ago and now it is coming close to being (IS) a major issue. GASOLINE. Before the mango moron started his war of distraction...

WITCHES BREW AND SPOOKY BEERS

We all know that women were the first to make beer, right? It was discovered by accident when grains were used to make other foods digestible. Dried grain was stored and used to make bread....

Haunted Attractions Map

Haunted Attractions 1. Factory of Terror Terror experience for all ages, including a variety of imaginative themes and thorough design. 120 Pearl Street, Fall River, MA 774-415-0153 factoryofterror.com 2. Scary Acres Fall festivities with the main attraction - a three-part terror experience...

ON THE COVER: Nilton Cárdenas

Cover artist Nilton Cárdenas of Cranston refuses to stand still. “I am constantly moving, and creating art,” he says in an interview at Sharks Peruvian Cuisine on Broad Street in Central Falls. And when he’s not...

Magda León: An Immigrant Woman Full of Fire

Photos by the author. Magda León is more than a multidisciplinary artist; she is an immigrant woman who uses art to explore her identity, her roots, and her connection to community. When I asked her how...

The Art of Giving Back: Nilton Cárdenas Is Creating More Than Art

Photo by Scott Lapham. For the Rhode Island artist, educator and muralist, creativity has become a way to open doors, strengthen community and help others discover possibilities within themselves. For Nilton Cárdenas, giving back does not begin...

OUR HERITAGE. OUR FUTURE.: Guest Editor's Letter

Every Hispanic Heritage Month, we are given an opportunity to look back.We celebrate the pioneers who came before us, the traditions they preserved, the institutions they built, and the sacrifices they made so generations that...

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...

Stuff to Do

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: RI is locked, stocked and in peril

Lunchtime with Gina  With New Scientist magazine reporting on March 25 that scientists still don’t know if humans can catch the coronavirus twice, Governor Raimondo announced new measures to mitigate the risk. Speaking yesterday on her daily afternoon chat show, “Lunchtime with Gina,” she said, “It’s not enough that we stay 6 feet from other […]

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Letter from the Distribution Manager

After considerable discussion and research, Motif decided to publish our regularly scheduled print edition. We regard it as a valuable public service. We are safely distributing it with due regard for the coronavirus. Physical magazines cannot carry infection. Virus droplets break down harmlessly on paper or cardboard in a few hours even if coughed or […]

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The Skinny on the Sticky: Our list of 2020 strain reviews

Stuck at home and running out of things to do? Head to your local essential shop and use our guide to try a new cannabis strain. Lemon OG:Details: This is a Indica dominate hybrid cross between Las Vegas Lemon Skunk and OG #18Smell/Taste: Fruity, PungentEffects: Relaxed, Happy, Euphoric, UpliftedTreats: Stress, Anxiety, Pain, Depression, Insomnia Negatives:  Dry mouth, […]

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Nice Goin’, Gigi!: The gov’s daily briefings tell it like it is

Permanent Press While Phillipe and Jorge have been critical of Governor Gigi Raimondo in the past for her imperious attitude, we must give her tons of credit for how she has handled the coronavirus pandemic here in Little Rhody through her daily press conferences. And while time-consuming, we urge her to continue her daily briefings […]

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Here’s What You’re Missing!: Local podcast explores cultural blindspots

I sat down with Tony Pacitti and Matt Ferrara at the What Cheer Writer’s Club podcasting studio, right before they were about to record their latest episode of “What Did We Miss?,” A pop-culture podcast that’s smart and well-researched, and takes a much-needed optimistic approach to art and culture in a time where people will […]

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Pandemic at the Disco: Music venues are empty, but RI keeps rocking out

Heading For A Clampdown As much as I liked the idea of every Yankees, Giants or Jets fan being stopped on the highway without probable cause and the state police forbidding them from leaving their houses — that idea was bat shit crazy. And even though crossing our borders now gives automatic quarantine to people from […]

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Sojourner House Expresses Concern About Domestic Violence: Help is needed for those trapped at home with an abuser

Vanessa Volz is the Executive Director of Sojourner House, which provides services and resources to victims of domestic violence and shelter for women and children, who are trying to escape abusive situations. Volz says that since the coronavirus outbreak, Sojourner House has had distress calls from current and new clients because, “People are literally trapped […]

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The Secret Kept by Medical Marajuana Investors: The environmental cost of a high-maintenance crop

Investors in Rhode Island and Massachusetts are willing to spend millions on medical marijuana operations and disregard the environmental impact. “A lot is happening now in the cannabis industry, but not a lot of investors are looking at a sustainable approach. They are mostly looking at their return on investment,” Paul Dean, a consultant to […]

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RI Creatives Seek Statewide Artist Relief Fund

Our local economy has collapsed in the wake of COVID-19, leaving thousands of people down and out in the Ocean State with an unemployment rate rapidly approaching Great Depression levels. Creatives have decided to organize. Artists, musicians and gig workers under previously existing rules were unable to collect unemployment or benefits for lost income. The […]

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