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...
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...
(Photo credit: Keith J.G. McCurdy, from the cover art of Vudu Sister’s Adynata; photograph of the art installation LO SGUARDO - Humanitas - Physis by sculptor Igor Mitoraj at the Neopolis Archaeological Park of Siracusa...
Mount Pleasant. Elmhurst. The Valley Arts District. These are all neighborhoods whose offerings I thought I knew well, having worked in and around Providence over the last few years. But you can certainly miss a...
Buddy Mott. Once upon a time, if you wanted a tattoo, one of the things you could do was traipse to Newport from any of the four corners of the world and get yourself a tattoo...
The actual declaration of Independence was first proclaimed to the people of Newport from this building in July 1776. (Photo by Maureen O'Gorman) It doesn't take long for a person new to Rhode Island to find...
The RI Department of Transportation (RIDOT) announced a major initiative to repair potholes caused by a harsh winter. A new Pothole Service Requests Dashboard site on the web – https://www.dot.ri.gov/travel/potholes.php – allows the public to...
Phillipe and Jorge were astounded and then appalled by this headline on page 2 of the October 26 edition of The Urinal: “Police: White man kills 2 black customers at store” Are you shitting us? This is so over the line that you’d expect to see it in a KKK newsletter. More than 20 years […]
We feel neglected at the Motif office because, despite the recent highly publicized series of bombs sent through the postal mail to critics of Donald Trump, we never got one. Now, with the arrest of Cesar Altieri Sayoc Jr., also known as Cesar Altieri Randazzo, a 56-year-old Florida man who was literally living in a […]
Just in time for Halloween, The Academy Players Company will present The Addams Family in concert this weekend on Friday, October 26 and Saturday October 27 at 7pm. The first installment in their new Musicals in Concert series, The Addams Family will be presented in its entirety as a concert reading season in the newly […]
WED 24 Cocktails and Conversations: Feminism in Popular Culture: Guaranteed to set off the family reactionary or Proud Boy cousin in your life, or your money back. 6pm. DWG Library, 413 Central Ave #300, Pawtucket. reddwglibrary.com PechaKucha: The theme of this month’s “grown up show and tell” is “haunts.” Motif is presenting this time! 8:20pm. […]
Jazz enthusiast and veteran violinist Catherine Pratte was born in Providence. Cathy, who now lives in Bristol, graduated Salve Regina University in Newport and went on to receive two master’s degrees and a doctorate in education. She has played violin for more than 60 years, of which some 35 years were with the late famous Joseph […]
RJ Heim is a familiar face and voice to most Rhode Islanders, as the weekend weatherman and a feature reporter for the longstanding, top-rated television station NBC 10 WJAR for the past 25 years. Like most broadcasters, RJ’s journey to becoming an established media personality was filled with trials and tribulations; however, during a recent episode […]
Change does not come easily to the medical community. In 1847, after witnessing countless post childbirth and surgical deaths, Dr. Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis did some experiments and realized that if physicians washed their hands, it could prevent most incidents of “childbed fever,” along with the infections that invariably occurred after surgeries. His absurd notion made […]
Pawtucket is Rhode Island’s vegan mecca. Nowhere else in this great state can you find an exclusively vegan bakery (Wildflour) alongside a vegetarian/vegan (v/v) eatery. The Garden Grille opened its doors in 1996. The original bright and colorful decor was more reminiscent of a Mexican establishment than a trendy v/v joint. “Until I met Uschi, […]
In the first five minutes of Last of the Red Hot Lovers, we learn just about everything we need to know about the main character without a word of dialogue, as he bumbles around his mother’s apartment, obsessively trying to odor-neutralize his fingers, blanching at the taste of scotch and anxiously preparing for his coming […]
Taken by Small Frye at the Dark Lady, right after the Boo-lesque show: party to un-die for With boo-lesque dancers front and center, some of the undead crowd live the nightlife at PVD’s Dark Lady for the 12th annual RI Zombie Night, hosted by (far right) the ever lively Rev Al Mighty. Use this photo […]
