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...
The NecronomiCon mission statement declares that it is “a celebration of weird fiction and its roots in the city of Providence.” “Weird fiction” is the phrase that PVD homeboy Howard Phillips Lovecraft used to describe his horrific and phantasmagorical tales. H.P. was born in 1890 – the same year that Narragansett Brewing Company hit the […]
Folks, I’m admitting it up front: This article is not about Lovecraft or the love of Lovecraft. But it does involve the melding of precision and creativity – by a different kind of artist, right here in Providence. On Wickenden Street, to be exact. The East End A golden-dim interior opens into one of the […]
Coming out of Boston’s DIY underground, indie jazz quintet People Like You explore musical boundaries with consistent brilliance. Poignant rhythms and abstract structure are the foundation for an act that keeps things interesting with each song. Their sophomore release Verse that came out Jul 28 via Topshelf Records dives into that æsthetic while achieving sustainable […]
Imagine for a moment the wonder of going to the circus for the first time as a child. Now imagine that instead of a ringmaster and elephants, there were noise bands and Jewish drag queens. That sense of wonder, my friends, is what you can expect from the 22nd iteration of AS220’s Foo Fest. Many […]
Aries: You spend your time in that age-old pastime, the pursuit of happiness. What brings joy into your life? Is that a particular someone, a hobby or an activity? You know the answer. You’re creative now and this is a good time to act on that creativity. Setting goals and meeting new friends is also […]
Opened Strada, by the same minds of Enoteca Umberto, part of the Italian revival on the West Side of Providence. This new restaurant boasts an old Sicily feel with street food recipes that allow “the neighborhood to reminisce on flavors they once knew.” 262 Atwells Ave, PVD Facebook.com/enotecaumberto Rec Room, a sports club/restaurant owned and […]
For me, nothing says summer like a trek to Contemporary Theatre Company. I was excited to hear that they were doing a comedy this summer, One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean, which graced Broadway stages five years ago starring James Corden. I went into this show knowing very little about it, but right away […]
Trust me, seeing a show at Bill Hanney’s Theatre By The Sea (TBTS) is akin to capturing that perfect Instagram shot of summer at sunset. The drive down to South County is just long enough to feel like you’ve “gotten away” from it all, you are surrounded by beach cottages and they are literally putting […]
Okee dokee folks… On Tuesday, July 25, I caught the Declan MacManus show at the Providence Performing Arts Center. If you know who that is and you attended, then you probably enjoyed the show. If you don’t know who it is then you would have had a long, somewhat painful evening. Declan, aka Elvis Costello, […]
The recently released trailer for Higher Methods is generating lots of excitement for the film, which director Nathan Suher describes as a “trippy psychological drama.” Higher Methods is about an actor named Matthew (Michael Christoforo) whose search for his missing sister leads him to a theater group led by an unconventional instructor. “It goes […]
