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...
I conducted an e-mail interview with comedian Brian Regan who will be appearing at the Providence Performing Arts Center on Thursday, May 10. I watched a few of his specials and made a couple of lame references from them in the questions. I put an asterisk next to the questions that use this reference. This just […]
FRI 4 Live Bait: The long running true-life story open forum returns, with this month’s theme of geek! May the Fourth be with you, always. 7pm, AS220, 115 Empire St, PVD. as220.org It’s About Time for a One Year Beer: To celebrate RI’s independence Day (we declared ahead of the other colonies, back in the […]
Providence Roller Derby’s “A Team,” the Rhode Island Riveters, rolled into Rome, NY, April 21-22 to compete at the 2018 Siege of Central New York Tournament. The sanctioned tournament gave eight teams divided into two divisions a round-robin opportunity to not only win a trophy, but to improve their overall WFTDA ranking. Ranked #97, PRD […]
If you have a mom who loves the herb, try a cannabis-themed gift for Mother’s Day this year. Whether it be an edibles cookbook with recipes for you to try together, a trendy new stash bag or her first high quality vaporizer, these suggestions are sure to make Mom’s day even more special. Cookbook Herb: […]
Saxophonist Leland Baker has been making a name for himself around New England over the past several years and has become quite a fixture in the Providence jazz scene. On Wednesday nights he and his quartet of local musicians have been delighting the patrons of the Acacia Club in downtown Providence and have been generating […]
Fattitude is a film from creators Lindsey Averill and Viridiana Lieberman that examines how popular culture promotes fat hatred and fat-shaming, resulting in a very real cultural bias and a civil rights issue for people who are living in fat bodies. The film came together organically, with both filmmakers coming from academic backgrounds and interviewing […]
Rick Scianablo is the manager of Studio Blue Providence, a local recording studio. So he knows bands, and thinks bands need places to hone their craft. “We’re a creative city, and creative cities need to give bands a place where they can practice in front of an audience and get good enough to play in […]
Do you consider yourself a law-abiding citizen? See how much you know about these old laws still on the books. 1. It is illegal to throw this type of juice on a trolley. 2. It is illegal to ride this mode of transportation on a highway to test its speed. 3. When passing on the […]
Cover designer Matt Ryan is also the creator of Junk Food, which you’ll find in every issue on our comics page. It makes us miss the Far Side far less than before we found Matt. He was able to conjure pirates awash in a sea of legal paperwork, without harming a single actual legal document. […]
What do you never leave home without? Lipstick! Sometimes just wearing it can be enough to perk up my day. I think may I need a support group though, I have almost three dozen! What’s your biggest pet peeve? People who continue driving with their directional on after they’ve turned or switched lanes. I’m that […]
