Blaq Sav. Photos by Lillian MK Photography. Favorite Free Verse Spoken Word 2026 Ashley Hosa Sending out a big congrats to Ashley Hosa, who came to the Spoken Awards with a multitude of wonderful supporters (shoutout to Ryan!)....
The founder of the long-standing hipster-ish West Side restaurant Julians hadn’t been involved directly with the restaurant in quite some time. But his legacy persisted. A larger-than-life personality, you never knew at what event Julian...
Renowned supporter of local music and arts Lisa Gourley (Sometimes Lisa Gourleyx) passed away on June 15. Reading reactions on social media, you can’t help but notice how often the words “nice,” “kind,” and “photography”...
This beautiful Solstice moment, June 21, 2026 brings the winds of change into our lives. The pivotal points among the planetary movers and shakers of the Zodiac find Gemini, with Uranus and Ceres, reaching across...
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...
We sat down a few months ago with one of the organizers of RI’s Deportation Defense Line. The Defense Line’s origins are organic and multifaceted. No one person is in charge of it. No one...
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...
THU 10 Sweet Little October Show: Feminist, anti-racist, queer-positive and body-positive cabaret. 8pm. Askew, 150 Chestnut St, PVD. fb.com/Askewprov SAT 12 – MON 14 Scituate Art Festival: Three days of juried selected arts, crafts and food. 10am. Village Green, 554 Greenville Rd, North Scituate. scituateartfestival.org SAT 12 Hari Kondabolu: Political comedy. 7:30pm & 10pm. 39 […]
Hey all you freelancers, telecommuters, authors and entrepreneurs. Let’s admit it: It’s hard for us Providence café enthusiasts to find a nice place to write a blog that will launch us to stardom, pen the next great American novel or iron out a million-dollar business idea that isn’t completely overrun by copycats trying to do […]
When I left RI for the Far East in the last week of September, they had just sprayed for mosquitoes in East Providence. There was a great concern over Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), as states throughout the Northeast were having an unusually active season, and it a problem worthy of concern. EEE is a disease […]
He played me something on his piano. “That’s not my best,” he says, “but it’s the one I like the most.” His house is on the South Side across from a little neighborhood convenience store where he shops every day. “I get the paper. I talk to the woman at the register. Sometimes she’s the […]
In a note that’s found in the program for The Players’ new production of The Producers, director Christopher Margadonna expresses some hesitation about mounting this production in our current political climate. “Will the jokes land? Will people think this is too offensive?” he wonders. I found myself thinking a similar thing as I took my […]
The Attleboro Community Theatre’s first offering of their 63rd season is Frederick Knott’s classic thriller Wait Until Dark. Movie buffs will recognize the title from the 1967 adaptation, starring Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin; the stage version debuted in 1966. Knott’s story follows Susy Hendrix, a blind woman who becomes the target of three con […]
The Wilbury Theatre Group’s ninth season opens with Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, directed by Fred Sullivan Jr. Embracing vaudevillian antics, the cast of local talent tackles this esoteric tragicomedy from Samuel Beckett. It does not disappoint. Quick summary: Godot is about two tramps, Estragon and Vladimir, played by Richard Donelly and Tom Gleadow. The […]
“One ought to look a good deal at oneself before thinking of condemning others.” ~ Moliere There are few things better in the theater than a company that knows which strengths to put forth and when to call upon them. Burbage Theatre Company has just moved into a brand new space at 59 Blackstone Avenue […]
The climate strike held at the State House was the first public and global protest that I attended since turning 18, legally an adult. And that shift changed my thought process and the way my brain wrapped itself around everything happening at the State House that day. What I realized, or I should say what […]
No sense in sugar-coating it; the stray cat population in Rhode Island is out of control. Shelters are over-populated and the rescue groups are doing all they can to help cut down on feral cats multiplying non-stop. A female cat’s pregnancy only lasts about two months, and she gives birth to an average litter of […]
