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 tattoo artist who goes by Mish, of Fall River, MA, created this month’s cover. “I got the nickname when I was younger, and it just kinda stuck,” she says. Also, it stirs a little...
Internationally renowned choreographer and dancer Bill Evans relocated to Providence in 2014 when his husband, Don Halquist, became dean of education at RIC’s Feinstein School of Education and Human Development. He will present a concert of his contemporary dance and rhythm tap dance choreography twice on Sunday, March 19, at 4 and 7 pm, at the […]
Karen Murphy created her first painting at 13 and hasn’t stopped. When I asked her where it was, she thought it might be in one of her parents’ closets somewhere, but Karen’s work should be out of the closets and everywhere! Her Tonalist style and her unique water and seascapes are one-of-a-kind. Her paintings will […]
As someone who’s stepped into the ring many times, I can tell you it is hard to be a professional wrestler. The simplest bumps onto wooden planks over steel ribs feel similar to being rear-ended in a car crash over and over. You have to be mindful of protecting your body and your opponent’s while delivering […]
The core concepts deployed when using alternative facts as a political weapon are far from new (The Rosetta Stone was a multi-lingual piece of ancient propaganda, attempting to get the Egyptian public to accept a Roman conqueror as a manifestation of a local god). But the particular spin lent to the practice by recent events […]
Before lab tests, before xrays and even before thermometers, people got sick, and someone had to figure out what was wrong with them. Diagnostics have always been an important step in healing. So how did people do it in days of yore? The earliest records of medicine are from the Ancient Egyptians. The Edwin Smith […]
“Have you been to Federal Hill Pizza in Warren?” my friend Rob asked me as we drove to dinner on the opening week of its Providence location. The restaurant was so new to the city that Google Maps could not find it; we had to consult the insiders of Yelp. “Yes!” I said. “It’s been […]
On an unusually warm day in February, Browning Mill Pond in Exeter proved to be a popular place for visitors from near and far. Some were hiking, others were just hanging out near the pond located within the 15,000-acre Arcadia Management Area. The rustling of a brisk wind and the rushing water of a nearby […]
THU 16 Urban Showcase: Featuring the best in local upcoming hip-hop acts, including BBE, $inisters, Spocka Summa and Scribe. 8:30pm, Fete Lounge, 103 Dike St, PVD. fetemusic.com Fingerstyle Guitar Workshop: An evening for all levels of expertise, with Peppino D’Agostino. Bring your guitar and prepare to learn from a true master (you can also come […]
A fermenter full of hopes and dreams and beer-making business plans is finally becoming a reality at 461 Main St in Pawtucket. The address is the home of Isle Brewers Guild (IBG), the self-proclaimed “craft beer cooperative,” which provides manufacturing, packaging and distribution solutions in a state-of-the-art facility for its brewing partners who are striving to […]
WBRU – Post-End of the Century Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio The news in recent days is that WBRU is possibly up for sale subject to a wider vote from their student council. This isn’t new, as it has been tried before, but the bids were approximately $14 million short of the desired asking price. I […]
