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...
We all eat, but how many of us eat to live and how many of us live to eat? What are our food buying sources, our habits? Is this a socio-economic problem for only low-income individuals or does this affect everyone? Furthermore, is this a culture-specific issue? Or does it affect us all? In […]
From an outsider’s perspective, the 2018 travel season for PRD’s Rhode Island Riveters seemed like a tough struggle, but those close to the league know that after many tough battles, the war was won because a bond full of mutual inspiration between new and veteran skaters formed. Riveters might have closed out three wins to […]
The 6th season of Day Trill is on the horizon, so I sat down with the founders of Day Trill & stay silent PVD, Jason “WHERE’S NASTY” Almeida & Sabrina Chaudhary, to talk about the event. I first asked Chaudhary to describe Day Trill for the uninitiated. She called it “a hip-hop day party with childlike […]
What do you never leave home without? Chapstick, Blistex, lip balm, something to keep my lips feeling good! What’s your favorite book? Anything by Chuck Palahniuk. I hated reading until I found his books! What’s your favorite TV show? “Family Guy.” I have almost every volume! What’s your biggest pet peeve? Costume malfunctions. A safety […]
Many of you know Erin Botelho as the smiling face at our events, effortlessly setting things up, chatting with friends and clients and answering questions from our interns. Others know her as our hard-working sales director, advising local businesses on how to promote their work and helping them perfect their ads up to the very last minute. […]
It’s difficult to overstate the many uses and benefits of the hemp plant. The non-psychoactive version of Cannabis sativa can be made into fiber, textiles, building materials, fuel and even plastics. Beyond its value as a renewable resource, hemp also offers a multitude of health benefits as a food source. Low in cholesterol and […]
We’ve gathered a flood of beer news for this Foodie Issue, and have included a few tasty culinary tidbits with the liquid enlightenment. June 21 is the first day of summer and the first official day to visit Taproot Brewing Co., at Newport Vineyards (909 East Main Rd, Middletown). Owner/Brewmaster John Nunes notes, “I’ve […]
We asked our team of food writers to tell us their favorite places to dine. We’re lucky to live in a state with so many stellar restaurants, so it was tough to narrow this down. Maybe there’s a few on the list you haven’t tried, but should. Maybe you know of one we haven’t tried, […]
Carlo Catucci didn’t set out to start a distillery, he was just a guy looking for a hobby. Five years ago, when everyone else was brewing beer at home, Carlo wanted to try something different: making his own spirits. He started out with vodka then moved on to whiskey and bourbon, finding that, with a little […]
Known by the Johnson & Wales University (JWU) community as The Bling Chef, Chef Frank Terranova has been an integral part Rhode Islanders’ lives. For 28 years, he has taught at JWU and for 21 years he has been the face of the JWU & NBC 10 News collaboration, “Cooking with Class.” Unfortunately, both of these chapters […]
