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...
Eight years ago, moviegoers were amazed to see a seemingly unaged Jeff Bridges resurrect his role from 1982’s Tron for the 2010 sequel, marveling at how makeup could have rendered him 22 years younger. Of course, the truth was more amazing, as it was revealed that CGI came heavily into play, meaning that Bridges himself did […]
Narrows Center Plans to Expand “Music that matters, art that inspires” is the apt motto of Narrows Center for the Arts, an arts collective and concert venue in Fall River, Mass. Motif readers might have heard a mention here and there, but it’s a underrated spot that’s well worth the drive. Their eclectic programming, respectful […]
Okee dokee folks… The other day my mother showed me that her mobile phone was broken and mentioned that she needed a new one. The broken device was her first ever mobile phone, and it was at least 10 years old. It still had an antenna! Mom is a bit stubborn when it comes to gadgets […]
Community gardens are the perfect spot to get your hands dirty if you don’t have your own little backyard plot of land. Not only can you grow your own food, but you can share resources and knowledge with other gardeners in your community. This is a small sampling of the many community gardens across the […]
As the weather warms, want to get outside and help your community in the process? Check out some of the cleanups happening this spring. MAR SAT 3 Brenton Point Cleanup: Annual Ocean Drive clean-up. Clean gloves, pickers and garbage bags will be provided. Wear boots or sturdy shoes and dress for the weather. Noon – 2pm, Brenton Point […]
A Fine Kettle of Fish It’s probably a good thing that Nicholas Kettle, the 27-year-old Republican state senator, has resigned from the RI Senate and the whole sordid mess he’s embroiled in will be heard in court. Accusations of twice extorting sex from a teenaged state house page and sharing nude photographs of his ex-girlfriend […]
On Thursday, February 22, the Veterans Memorial Auditorium was host to a rousing performance by The Gershwin Big Band, an ensemble dedicated entirely to the music of the late, great American composer George Gershwin. This well-attended event was presented as part of FirstWorks’ Artistic Icons Series and gave a captivated audience a glimpse at some […]
You might be familiar with the Venus flytrap or Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors, but how well do you know Nepenthes rajah? This carnivorous plant gets its name from the Greeks. Loosely translated, it means ‘no pain’ and references a drug Helen of Troy gave to Telemachus, son of Odysseus, forcing him to forget […]
“Do you want a squiggle?” said Alex Cirillo to my 4-year-old son Tucker, offering him a length of bright red ribbon. He regarded her calmly and silently, but his little fists were balled up in a gesture of defiance I know so well. My son is not a joiner and was still a little mad […]
It might still be too cold to ride the Newport ferry, but that doesn’t mean that a trip to this charming beach town isn’t worth a go. Newport is famous for its beautiful sights and attractions, and even if the beach isn’t quite ready yet, there’s plenty that nature has in store for the springtime. […]
