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...
Summertime is a changing of the guard in theater. Many companies call it quits for the season, or substantially shift their programming away from mainstage offerings while others are only getting started once the days are at their longest. With the dizzying array of choices available in RI theater, it’s a daunting task to figure […]
’Tis the season for beer gardens and patios and fests and a deluge of summer fests and fun. Pop a top and dive in! On Sunday, June 16 (thisclose to official summer) from 2 – 5pm, the Beervana folks and the RI Food Fights crew will team up again for the 3rd Annual Bacon & […]
Madcap Mondays aren’t the dreary open mics you see in the movies, though there are similarities. Folks full of beer do shout from the audience, some performers tiptoe onto the stage one stiff breeze away from emotional collapse, not everybody knows all the words to the songs they’re singing. But the shouts from around the […]
Do you love Rhode Island history and enjoy being around people who are enthusiastic about it? Then the annual Gaspee Days string of events is for you! Gaspee Days is an annual series of events in Warwick celebrating RI heritage and history. The Gaspee Days celebration has been taking place for more than 50 years to commemorate the burning […]
After decades of growth, craft beer in Rhode Island has reached a fever pitch event the wildest dreams of local beer enthusiasts couldn’t conjure. Whereas once we could count on one hand the number of breweries, including brewpubs, in our state, now it’s getting difficult to attempt to keep up with the new brewery openings. […]
Opened Burnside Beer Garden: Long a pop-up feature of the Burnside Summer Music Series, Trinity Brew Pub’s beer garden is becoming a permanent fixture of the park in Kennedy Plaza. Kennedy Plaza, PVD. Website pending. Daisy Jo’s Hot Chicken and Biscuits: Quick and spicy, when you’re ready to fly. 63 Airport Rd, Warwick. fb.com/daisyjoschicken High […]
It all goes back to Roger Williams’ original idea of creating Providence as the first sanctuary city. Barnaby Evans is the creator of WaterFire, one of PVD’s signature events and a public art installation that has global appeal and reach. Evans is a graduate of Brown University, and during a multi-decade run of creating, innovating […]
If you’re like me, you have two major thoughts in life. One is, “When will I see my dog again?” and the other is, “Oh look, a strange dog! I wonder if I can pet it?” With my affinity for canine companions not being a secret, I wanted to take the opportunity to show you how […]
Ah, summer. The birds, the bees and 10,000 sunflowers planted where 195 used to be. At least that’s been the goal each summer for Adam E. Anderson, creator of the 10,000 Suns art installation, which has the lofty goal of having 10,000 mature sunflowers in the space throughout the summer months. Anderson had the idea for 10,000 […]
Pride returns to PVD this June 15 and it promises to be more energetic than ever! The theme of this year’s celebration of the LGBTQ community is Live Your Truth. “The Live Your Truth theme for 2019 reflects what’s at the heart of Pride: an opportunity to be exactly who you are, out in the […]
