Extreme Heat Warning in effect from July 1, 10:00 AM EDT until July 4, 08:00 PM EDT At Providence, an Extreme Heat Warning is effective Wed, Jul 1, 10am to Sat, Jul 4, 8pm. Afternoon temperatures/heat...
Isham, Sheila. Teth (#8 Creation Series). 1972. Acrylic spray on canvas. Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI. (Image courtesy of the Newport Art Museum.) Quite some time ago, I read a quip that the art of diplomacy...
As an international student a year into Rhode Island, yet still only a breath into America, I finally found a question that I might be able to answer – this is my continued exploration of: What...
Tucked inside the historic Harrison Steam Complex in Providence's Olneyville neighborhood, Siren Spirits is redefining what a visit to a distillery can be. Equal parts neighborhood gathering place, cocktail destination, and craft spirits experience, this...
Music makes beer taste better? In 2016, Vrije University in Brussels, Belgium, conducted a study that showed scientific evidence that music has an impact on our taste of beer. This study concluded that lower audible...
Cold Chocolate. Okee dokee folks… Well, summer is here and for me, summer is HELL! A few years back I wrote a song about my disdain of Summer for the Empire Revue’s “Cool” show. Here are...
America, the focus of this issue, runs on wealth. So here’s how to get yourself some. It’s the perfect opportunity to launch a new column aimed at helping non-one-percenters with financial matters. Feel free to...
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“Foreigner.” I find it a harsh word that I hate seeing applied to others. Yet applied to myself, it’s the only word that half conveys how baffling I find this country at times. I’d like...
In his final year at college, cover artist William Schaff truly learned what it was like to work in a studio. “I developed a course of study in general fine arts with one of my...
Rachael Warren as Diana. Photo by Mark Turek. The Next to Normal audience is exposed to waves of raw emotions drowning your soul and dampening your eyes. You may wish you had premedicated with any of...
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...
P&J Still Awaiting Federal Jobs At right about the same time that Phillipe & Jorge were about to volunteer to Secretary of Navy Richard Spencer as the next heads of the US Naval War College in Newport, a candidate with better credentials (Rear Admiral Shoshanna Chatfield) was named by Secretary Spencer. In case you haven’t […]
Dust off that Mr. Beer kit — the homebrewers are coming! PVD, home to one of the best beer scenes in the country, is officially cool enough to host the 41st annual Homebrew Con, presented by the American Homebrewers Association, set to take place at the Rhode Island Convention Center. This three-day (Jun 27 – […]
At this year’s Grownass Prom, Brook Long stormed The Met like a celestial marauder. Her black dress rippled and folded like a wormhole and her red-tinted shades evoked an alien who also may be a celebrity influencer, hiding from her paparazzi on Mars. She didn’t wear a tiara that night (her platinum wig cascaded to […]
In Laos, when someone wants to emphasize what they’re saying, they repeat the word twice. That’s how Vilada Khammahavong (known to everyone as “Vi”) came up with the name KowKow for her food truck — khao, pronounced “kow,” meaning either rice or food in her parents’ native tongue. And from my experience at KowKow, I […]
On June 29, some of the best women-created animation from around the world will be featured at AS220 for the annual Womanimation! screening. MergingArts Productions, helmed by creative director Toni Pennacchia, puts the festival together every year. This 90-minute festival brings to the screen 12 animated shorts from 11 countries, and more than half of […]
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 […]
