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...
Before his death, Charles Dickens was working on a novel titled The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The real mystery, as it turned out, would be what Dickens’ plan for the ending was, as he died before he could finish it. Scholars have pored over the incomplete manuscript and letters Dickens wrote to determine what course […]
Ah, Providence in the summer. The silhouette of the Superman building against the skyline, the cedar smoke from WaterFire dancing through the city, and the gondoliers gracefully rowing their boats across the Providence river, singing and guiding their passengers down its waterways. Cue record scratch. Wait, what? Yeah, you don’t expect that last one — […]
Every year, Motif throws an event called the RI Theater Awards. It’s free and open to the public, and celebrates the achievements in our local theater community. Last year, the event found itself unexpectedly venueless due to late-breaking scheduling conflicts. McVinney Auditorium, a lovely location, came to our rescue, offering the use of their space […]
The Rhode Island Theater Awards, sponsored and produced by a team at Motif magazine, have a little less than two months to find a new venue. The event was to take place at McVinney Auditorium, a venue owned and operated by the diocese of Providence. Last year’s event in this location was a rousing success, […]
Dada Woof Papa Hot is a humorous and thoughtful slice of the LGTBQ struggle for mainstream bliss that any parent can identify with. Epic ends its 9th season with Peter Parnell’s Dada Woof Papa Hot, a beautifully executed piece of storytelling from start to finish. A relatively new work by Parnell, Dada Woof Papa Hot […]
Before writing this, I did what every dutiful “elder millennial” would; I journaled all of my thoughts, made lists and went to my bookshelf to seek the wisdom of those who have lived before me. Books on Eastern philosophy, Virginia Woolf, Sarah Vowell, The Feasts: How the Church Year Forms us as Catholics, and The […]
The seventh annual Red Bandana award ceremony was held Sunday, June 9, at the Providence Fire Fighters Hall. The awards are bestowed each year recognizing persons or organizations carrying on the social activism of the late Richard J. Walton, who from 1988 to 2011 threw a pot-luck birthday party for himself on the first weekend […]
Out Loud usually does serious theater, but The Rocky Horror Show is not intended to be taken seriously. When it first hit the London stage in 1973, it was an obscure production in a small attic performance space, about as far off-off-off-Broadway as possible, but it became a surprise must-see hit for everyone who had […]
Dear C and Dr. B; I’m 18 and this is my first year in college. I found a boyfriend and I am really into him, but I have a problem – I just can’t get intimate with him. I want to, but I feel repulsed just thinking about it. I keep the feeling to myself, […]
THU 13 Sweet Little Variety Show: Special Pride show with Heather Rose In Clover, TropiGals, Randy Andy, Kristen Minsky, comic Rich Hite, Virginia Dare, and host Eva Destruction. Queer-positive comedy and music night, with unique skits each month. 8pm. Askew, 150 Chestnut St, PVD. fb.com/Askewprov FRI 14 The Rocky Horror Picture Show: RKO Army Celebrates […]
