Providence Street Art Festival 2018
The Providence Street Art Festival was held at the downtown skating rink on Oct 20, 2018. Photos by Cristina Berrios […]
PVDFest Returns This Weekend
2026 PVDFest is the can’t-miss local event this weekend; one of the biggest fests of the year for our city-state. This year reprises last year’s footprint, encompassing Kennedy Plaza with three stages and reaching out...
Grinding On: Changing gears on the espresso machine at Crook Point Brewing Company
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...
Four Things You May Not Know About the Award-winning Comedy Musical, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Natasha Hodgson in the Broadway Company of Operation Mincemeat. Photo by Matt Crockett. The Tony Award® and Olivier Award®-winning musical launches the North American leg of its world tour at the Providence Performing Arts Center September...
You've Still Got a Friend: Theater by the Sea presents a rousing world premiere tribute
Hunter Brown, Allie Seibold, and Seth Eliser in You've Still Got a Friend, playing at Bill Hanney's Theatre By The Sea from August 20 - September 13, 2026. Photo by Michael Derr Okee dokee folks… Tonight, at Theatre By The...
They didn’t strike, they picketed: Local librarians find a new way to educate the public.
Photo by Steve Ahlquist. The unionized workers of the Community Libraries of Providence have been without a contract for two years now. Their patience, which had been wearing thin, was stretched to the breaking point by...
Flickers 44: Celebrating film from around the world and right here in the Ocean State
Photo: L-R: Pénélope Rose, Manya Glassman, Emeline Easton, and K. Elisa Garcia. by Mike Ryan. The Rhode Island International Film Festival, also known as Flickers, took place August 4 through August 9, bringing filmmakers, actors, industry...
Welcome to the Neighborhood: RI’s Newest Black-Operated Museum
I think museums and the culture around them have historically gotten a bad rap. When you think of museums, you might associate them with classism, inaccessibility, and wealthy donors and patrons. There’s also the issue...
Lawn Beers to Harvest Cheers: Summer's Last Pours to Autumn's Fresh Taps
As the leaves change to amber hues, so do fall beers. Our local brewers are excited about the opportunity to offer these loved styles of craft beer. If you are looking forward to cozy sweaters...
Fall Happenings Map
Illustration by Sadie Levine. 1. Adams Farm (pumpkins, hay rides, corn mazes) Plus: Variety fall farm stand 158 Burnt Swamp Road, Cumberland 401-714-4425 2. Appleland Orchard (apples) Plus: Cider, wine, and donuts 135 Smith Avenue, Greenville 401-949-3690 3. Barden Family Orchard (apples, pumpkins) Plus: Farmers...
Roots Report
Okee dokee folks… I just realized that I have been attending concerts for 50 years now. In that span of time I have seen countless shows. I honestly have no idea how many I have...
YourFriendM00n Wants You to Know You’re Not Alone
Moon Leone didn’t set out to make your run-of-the-mill pop songs. They build whole worlds, embodying different characters and using visuals to tell stories that ultimately help people heal from trauma. Performing as YourFriendM00n, they...
Art Focused Forum
On August 12, Motif cohosted a forum on the Arts in Providence featuring Democratic Primary Mayoral candidates Brett Smiley and David Morales. In Providence, the real election typically happens in the primary. The winner will go...
In Their Own Words: 2026
Every election cycle, Motif brings you the candidates in their own words so you can try to compare apples to apples. It’s our way of contributing to the political process while not having the fact-checking...
ecoRI News Roundup
Environmental Organizations Endorse Foulkes for Governor PROVIDENCE — The Providence Streets Coalition, a grassroots activist organization devoted to increasing funding, safety, and reliability in the state’s transit network, announced July 21 that it is backing former...
ON THE COVER: Nicholas "Niko" Tolentino
For the cover of Motif’s Fall Guide, painter and muralist Nicholas “Niko” Tolentino of Cranston drew inspiration from his childhood days, he relates in an interview at White Electric Coffee Co-Op in Providence. Roger Williams Park...
No Concert is an Island
Centerville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket hosted its first live music event in August. It started big with the Island Roads Fest, featuring popular reggae/ rock bands including Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, Iration, Action Bronson, DENM, Bumpin...
Tatting at the Convention Center
Stepping into a tattoo convention without a tattoo or an array of piercings can be intimidating, like stepping into a gallery show without reading the title first. Aside from a pair of basic ear studs,...
Arts Focus Forum
August 12, 6:30 - 8:30 PM Southside Cultural Center - 393 Broad Street, Providence What do the candidates for Mayor of Providence have in mind for the future of arts engagement in the “Creative Capital”? Find...
MEOWS, MALTS, DOGS AND DRAFTS: Have a pint to rescue a paw
Can art by Joey Visco Dogs and drafts? Is there any better way to celebrate yappy hour? If you are an animal and craft beer lover, this is an event you do not want to miss!...
NOW IT’S OUR TURN: Local team seeks to keep up positive momentum from World Cup
Photo by Sindayiganza Photography. The FIFA World Cup tournament was full of thrills, drama, chaos, unity, and live television shots of devastated children in tears after their team lost a heartbreaking match. The final whistle brought...
Boatload of music: Titanic drama
Matthew Provençal as Thomas Andrews in ‘Titanic: The Broadway Musical’ at Bill Hanney's Theatre By The Sea July 23 – August 15, 2026. Photo by Mark Turek. The challenge to staging a production of “Titanic: The...
2026 Tattoo Awards Gallery Wall
The Tattoo Awards featured a gallery wall populated by local artists. Here is a selection of the artwork on display! By Brianne Elizabeth @foxhallowart By Victori Leo Riel Grab Your Heart & Go by Allie Boyer @peaceflowercreations MONSTROELIZASUE by...
BTS with DMK: Lily Spencer
Photo by Jess Lee Images. I met Lily Spencer in an acting class taught by Eric Lutes, whom many television fans will remember from the 1990s sitcom “Caroline in the City.” Eric, who now lives in...
2026 Tattoo Award Winners
Rachel WS. Favorite Animal/ Favorite Floral Tara D’Agostino – Iron Lion Tattoo By the numbers, Tara D’Agostino got her first tattoo at the age of 15, picked up her own tattoo machine at the age of 19, opened...
The Long Game: River Shook Arrives Home
Photo by Jillian Clark. There’s no feeling quite like finally being able to fully step into your own, to truly embrace your whole self and carry yourself through the world with that mentality. Not an identity...
Roots Report
Kai Nanfelt. Okee dokee folks… Last weekend I went on a ten-hour, each way, road trip to play a show. The drive wasn’t so bad, but the music was horrible. As I have mentioned before, I...
The Butterfly’s Shadow
Photo by Isaac Laliberte Wards 2, 9 and 12 all report the same. Mendez wins in each! It appeared that Providence was perfectly poised to usher-in its first female mayor in history. The polls were closed and...
A Flicker of Flame
“You’re late, Brother,” she said, hovering outside the weathered cottage near a pebbly beach, indistinguishable from the shadows cast by moonlight that hit the thick hydrangeas. It was late in the evening of a seawind-chilled...
American Caesar Salad
It’s almost Cthulhu – pardon my hiccup, I meant, “election” – season again. And if the tactics of these times don’t make your head swim and your bowls ache, as if you were being eviscerated...
ON THE COVER: Bob Eggleton
When cover artist Bob Eggleton of Warwick first got interested in art and started sketching nightmarish creatures, he recalls, an aunt asked him, “What’s drawing a monster gonna get you in life?” He’s spent the last...
Stuff to Do
In Their Own Words: We spoke to Providence mayoral candidates about their plans for the city
We asked the following questions of candidates running for Providence mayor in the upcoming November elections. This is part one of a two-part series; part two will ask the same questions of candidates in the gubernatorial and senate races. Respondents in the Providence mayoral race were Jorge Elorza (D), Dianne Witman (I) and Jeffrey Lemire (I). Any […]
AltFacts: Oh, Yeezus! If that’s a smart cookie, we’d hate to see a stupid one
Kanye West: Voice of Reason Forget the sage observations of the Dali Lama and the resolute reassurances of free world leader Angela Merkel. To hell with anything said by Voltaire, bugger Aristotle and put a sock in Buffy Sainte-Marie’s pie hole, for their prattling is mere jibber-jabber and a malicious distraction from the prophetic gift […]
They’re Everywhere: We interviewed prominent Rhode Islanders who now slumber beneath our soil
As the veil between the worlds thins this Halloween night, this time-travelling Irishman stepped into the land beyond the horizon to learn more about Rhode Island’s illustrious departed. Julia Ward Howe, abolitionist, suffragist and poet; May 27, 1819 – October 17, 1910 Julia Ward Howe was an early and commanding voice of the suffrage movement. Her […]
Social Media Censorship: The right of the right to the right of free speech?
Those of you who read my columns on a regular basis are familiar with my belief in the First Amendment and the value I place in its position as an intrinsic civil liberty. Opinions may differ, but the right to express one’s ideas are tantamount to the country’s notions of democracy, and upholding your right […]
Misogyny is Alive and Well … and in My Own Backyard
I live in East Greenwich and love my picturesque town, but in the past two years I’ve noticed an increase in hostility here, particularly toward women. It started in January 2017, the day of the Women’s March, when E.G. Town Council Vice President Sean Todd tweeted: “Definitely a guy who came up with the idea […]
Pro-Corruption Rules: Mid-Terms
The midterms are approaching and since this is our first election in the public eye, we couldn’t be more excited. Watch the web for reminders on why corruption is here to stay, inevitable and in many cases, good for society, or at least some people. Our first online column (motifri.com/corruptmidterm) will deal with this, while the […]
Got Beer? Taste Test: Foolproof’s Irish Rhode brings all the Irish with none of the cultural appropriation
The next local beer in my infinity-part series of locally made refreshments is Foolproof’s Irish Rhode, which we alerted readers to in our beer issue (motifri.com/XXX). I’ve had my eye on this one for some time now. A buddy of mine who writes web copy for a couple of UK online casinos not on GamStop […]
Yes We Can! NE CANN plants seeds among enthusiasts
This weekend will mark the fourth annual Rhode Island Cannabis Convention, hosted by NE CANN and taking place at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The event will feature educational speakers, networking opportunities and more than a hundred exhibitors for attendees to visit throughout the day. Kicking off the event on Saturday will be keynote speaker Eric […]
Keep On Moving: The Future Is Purple: Prince is leading us into Halloween
I’m still coming down from watching Deer Tick’s John McCauley front Nirvana during the Foo Fighters’ encore at the CalJam Festival last weekend, but with wing and a shot of tequila, hopefully we can get through this. McCauley led surviving members of Nirvana through spot-on versions of “Serve the Servants,” “Scentless Apprentice” and “In Bloom” before […]