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...
Trillo’s Comedy Campaign Perhaps the funniest political story of the past few weeks was about independent candidate for Vo Dilun governor, Joe Trillo’s, 65-foot boat, the Lady M, nearly crashing into the beach in Charlestown. Funny, because the boat featured a giant Trillo for Governor banner and was blaring what is described as “patriotic music.” Does […]
Island Moving Company will present its annual Great Friends Dance Festival July 18-22, 2018. This year’s festival will feature five nights of performances on an outside stage at St. Michael’s Country Day School in Newport. Festivalgoers are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs, food and beverages. The Great Friends Dance Festival was founded in 2010 […]
Okee dokee folks… Those of you who read this column or know me are aware that I am a huge fan of Neil Young. When I was in my teens, I figured out a way to meet him. My plan was simple — I knew when they did sound checks at the Civic Center so […]
Director Joanne Fayan has returned to Epic Theatre Company “to helm the first of two summer shows that look at life and love from every angle of the imagination,” as written on the official Constellations Facebook page. Nick Payne’s Constellations takes us through the various stages of the way humans meet, hook up, break apart, […]
Often considered among the greatest films of all time, Gone with the Wind got off to a wildly inauspicious start. A few weeks into filming, producer David Selznick suddenly halted production. He fired the director and brought in Victor Fleming straight from the set of a little film called The Wizard of Oz. He then […]
With the tagline “Can one word alter the course of your life?” Nick Payne’s Constellations has become the surprise must-see (and must-produce) love story of the 2018 Rhode Island theater season. The Wilbury Theatre Group will present their version in early 2019 and the now-defunct 2nd Story had plans to mount a production as well. […]
For 14 years Senior Discount has been providing punchy, catchy punk rock in RI clubs and bars, and their new album, The Best Revenge, is being released on July 13 through Paper + Plastick records, owned by Vinnie Fiorello from Less Than Jake. To celebrate this mighty step forth, Senior Discount will be rocking the […]
Okee dokee folks… “It’s Different For Girls” got things going for Joe Jackson on Monday night at The Strand in Providence. Jackson sat down at his digital keyboard and performed a touching, solo rendition of the song from his 1979 album I’m The Man. The refrain, “You’re all the same…” faded the song to the […]
This past June was a bright month of creativity in Providence. The City hosted its annual PVD Fest, which was an expansive network of creative programming produced by community members and led by the City of Providence and its Department of Arts, Culture + Tourism. An overwhelming amount of cultural, artistic and creative community […]
Tiger Tiger is the second book in author Joann Mead’s Underlying Crimes series, though the books aren’t connected in any way other than the biological theme of the series. Mead is a science teacher who also works in the biotechnology and medical research fields, which gives her writing a sense of realism and terror. […]
