Blaq Sav. Photos by Lillian MK Photography. Favorite Free Verse Spoken Word 2026 Ashley Hosa Sending out a big congrats to Ashley Hosa, who came to the Spoken Awards with a multitude of wonderful supporters (shoutout to Ryan!)....
The founder of the long-standing hipster-ish West Side restaurant Julians hadn’t been involved directly with the restaurant in quite some time. But his legacy persisted. A larger-than-life personality, you never knew at what event Julian...
Renowned supporter of local music and arts Lisa Gourley (Sometimes Lisa Gourleyx) passed away on June 15. Reading reactions on social media, you can’t help but notice how often the words “nice,” “kind,” and “photography”...
This beautiful Solstice moment, June 21, 2026 brings the winds of change into our lives. The pivotal points among the planetary movers and shakers of the Zodiac find Gemini, with Uranus and Ceres, reaching across...
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...
We sat down a few months ago with one of the organizers of RI’s Deportation Defense Line. The Defense Line’s origins are organic and multifaceted. No one person is in charge of it. No one...
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...
[See “Wilbury’s Church: Drinking the Kool-Aid” for our review.] Motif writer Kevin Broccoli talks with Brien Lang and Phoenyx Williams — the director and the lead actor of Young Jean Lee’s Church currently playing at the Wilbury Group. Kevin Broccoli: What I find so interesting about Church is that it’s a play and an actual church service […]
We all have those one or two people on our list for whom we have no clue what to buy; hence the rise of the gift card. After all, it’s as easy as hitting “print” from Amazon’s website and requires almost no thought. It seems perfect, right? Wrong. The gift card is an impersonal torture […]
Aries: You are up front, out front and in everyone’s eye. You’re popular these days and receive some great reviews. But there is a lot going on beneath the surface with you as you delve deep into your inner being in an effort to understand yourself better. An older and/or wiser person offers some advice. Listen. […]
I’ve always been obsessed with my neighbors. It’s not entirely in a Rear Window way — although I love that movie, and The Burbs is my most-watched-movie of all time. I grew up in the north end of Providence in one of “those” neighborhoods where you piled bikes on the neighbors’ lawns, your mom yelled […]
Like a good magician, Trump has the ability to get people to look down when the important stuff is happening above, or vice-versa. Instinctive, an accidental side-effect of his instability, or a deliberate outgrowth of his reality show-life training? Regardless of how he acquired this trait, he and much of our leadership use it extensively. Right […]
Leroy doesn’t have gloves. To protect his fingers from the cold – which is pretty intense today – he keeps his parka pulled down over his hands; it makes holding his cardboard sign difficult, and he shifts it several times during the time we spend, talking and watching cars go by, but he never complains. […]
It’s New Year’s Eve. The holidays are over. You’ve seen all of your family, you’re fat with love/comfort food and now it’s time to celebrate 2018 with friends. You want to go out and you want to have fun. Providence has so many options. How to choose? You can go to a show. You can […]
‘Tis the season for looking back at this crazy, stressful, psyche-denting year. We’re brain-deep in top 10 lists and high/lowlights, but since this is part of the Got Beer? franchise, we’ve been reflecting on hoppy happenings. So here are some of the notable developments in the Year In Beer ’Round Here: New (and bigger) breweries: Three […]
I recently decided to steer toward darker beers, and to my wonderful surprise there are still breweries making them. I picked up a few to chase away the bitter winter blues, hoping against hope that perhaps I might actually be able to enjoy a malty, warming little treat. First up is a coffee stout, because apparently no […]
Protesters arrived to an East Greenwich Town Council meeting last month. Their goal: Make their voices heard, without saying a word. The town council of East Greenwich, made up of four Republican representatives and one Democrat, has recently become a contentious political sticking point for residents. In response to what residents say has been months of […]
