Babylon cover art; band photo; image credits: The Huntress and Holder of Hands At a recent record-release concert in Providence, Rhode Island, MorganEve Swain teased a nearly full house that her band The Huntress and Holder...
Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade. The party doesn't have to end after Halloween weekend. Keep the festivities going with a trip back to the Roaring Twenties when the North American tour of The Great Gatsby...
Artwork: AMOC by Ewa Romaszewicz in collaboration with Ambarish Karmalkar, PhD. For many of us, our most common run-ins with the scientific disciplines happen in two places: the classroom or a news headline. I think it’s...
What does it feel like to be in a room beaming with creative thinkers and artists? What does it look like when a group of motivational, dedicated, hard-working artists comes together? What creative forces can...
(New Harvest “It’s Party Time” poster; poster design: Britta Gustafson / New Harvest; photo credit: Sean Carlson) Photos by Ampersand Creative Co. From one former industrial site to another, New Harvest Coffee Roasters has expanded from humble...
L-R: President Patrick Canary and Secretary Chris Meringolo. Photo by Scott Barnett. Have you ever wanted to homebrew? Yes? I have great news! The RI Brewing Society is holding a “Learn to Homebrew Day.” The American...
When I sat down on a comfy couch at Big Nice Studio in Carrington, RI, for an interview with Space Cowboy Newt, one of the first things they told me was that they’re a rambler....
A new chapter for digital recording studio, The Proving Ground, has begun and owner and producer, Dylan Titus, is ready to celebrate two-and-a-half years of operation by putting together an event showcasing artists who have...
Okee dokee folks… Soon we should know whether this country is going to completely fall into fascism, erupt into civil war, or maintain democracy, as it should. A few weeks ago, Tom Morello presented the Power...
Swan Point Cemetery. Some of the eeriest places in RI are ready for you to check out, if you dare. As the first crisp, damp breaths of autumn begin to catch at the lungs and the trees...
Open: Rollers: A new sports bar has arrived in Providence as of June 12. Rollers hosts watch parties, serves a variety of diner-style food and drinks, and offers both private and semi-private party events. The spot...
1. Higher Education Facilities Bond Measure -- $275 million This bond would use $165 million to create an integrated health building at the URI campus, open to the public, which would also be used for labs...
For cover artist Mishki Thompson of Hopkinton, love helped her conquer a disability and embark on a journey of learning and practicing the art of beadworking, and passing on her Indigenous traditions to the next...
It’s 2003, Thursday afternoon, in a quiet little town called Eberndorf, in the deep south of Austria, surrounded by fields, trees, and medieval churches; 10-year-old me is in my parents’ living room, glued to the...
Photo by Cat Laine. The logistics, physical, and emotional demands of the production are mind-boggling – one actor spending 80 minutes morphing among 12 characters with unique accents and mannerisms while delivering lines almost non-stop and,...
Henry Nwaru in SAME DIFFERENCE at Wilbury Theatre Group. Photo by Erin X. Smithers. It’s 1993 in Providence. A gang leader from Harlem lands at his ex-girlfriend's apartment in the middle of the night — wounded,...
A reimagined production of the international, award-winning musical The Bodyguard will arrive at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC), October 23 – 25, 2026, as part of the Theatre’s 2026/2027 *Encore Series. Based on the 1992...
All photos 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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Internship Opportunities with Motif Magazine Description: Motif Magazine is dedicated to the arts and entertainment in RI and surrounding areas, and to bringing readers alternative local news about subjects of all kinds. Motif was established to bring to light some of the amazing music, arts and culture happening around Rhode Island that was escaping coverage […]
Internship Opportunities with Motif Magazine Environment Description: Motif Magazine is dedicated to the arts and entertainment in RI and surrounding areas, and to bringing readers alternative local news about subjects of all kinds. Motif was established to bring to light some of the amazing music, arts and culture happening around Rhode Island that was escaping […]
THU 14 LittleBoyBigHeadOnBike/ FINE./ Ava Callery: Indie rock. 9pm. AS220, 115 Empire St, PVD. as220.org Writers Night: 2019 RISCA Fellowship Exhibition. Hear readings from RI State Council for the Arts’ literary fellows, including Motif contributors Christopher Johnson and Kevin Broccoli. Warwick Center for the Arts, 3259 Post Rd, Warwick. warwickcfa.org FRI 15 Nghtswm/ Safari: Synthpop. […]
PD Ouspensky once wrote that man could be classified as “an animal that lies.” This is most certainly true. Much of the time, it can be a harmless feelings-sparing, or time-buying, act, but sometimes it can be dangerous. According to a recent study published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), 60% to 80% […]
On a chilly Friday night, a surprisingly large crowd is navigating the concrete and brick labyrinth of 560 Mineral Spring Ave. This old converted mill has held space for DIY businesses Black Grease Bicycles, Mixed Magic Black Box Theater, Mode Merr fashions, Bucket Brewing and many other small arts and crafts spots. It still boasts […]
In Tom Dulack’s Breaking Legs at the Arctic Playhouse, college professor Terrence O’Keefe (Jeff Blanchette) has written a play-within-a-play whose goal is to make the audience feel as if they committed a murder, giving them a sense of what that would really feel like. After getting good reviews in Belgium and Buffalo, presumably getting a taste of […]
Fictional characters are fictional, which may not seem a profound observation, but real people can be, and to some extent must be, substantially fictional, too, because it is impossible to know them perfectly. Lizzie Borden was unquestionably a real historical figure, found innocent of brutally murdering her father and stepmother with an ax in a sensational […]
When she answered the phone, Cathy Plourde sounded excited and anxious and bewildered that her new Pawtucket distillery will open on March 9. Cathy explained that the idea came as she and her wife, Kara Larson, “honed our love of gin in England for two years.” The couple moved to RI two years ago. Investigating small gins […]
Counter-Productions Theatre Company will be presenting the world premiere of Kevin Broccoli’s newest play, The Married Name, running March 15-24 at the AS220 Black Box Theatre, 95 Empire, PVD. Directed by Victoria Ezikovich, the production marks the acting group’s penultimate production of this, its final season. Playwright Broccoli describes The Married Name as a “knock-down, […]
Our cover art this issue fulfilled a lot of dreams. It was a dream of Motif to get some of Kara Andrews’ stellar body work on our cover, and it was a dream of cover model Victoria Uustal to be part of the process. The experience was a wonderful one for all involved — even […]
