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...
On the “Weekend Update” satirical news segment on Saturday Night Live. anchor Colin Jost displayed a snapshot of an unhinged rant laced with profanity in the form of a Donald Trump post to Truth Social,...
Creativity and originality play a major role when it comes to being an unsigned up-and-coming artist. Many artists follow trends in order to gain some momentum, but that is not the case with young up-and-coming artist Khary. Khary is an artist of his own and takes pride in developing his own lane built off of […]
The choice between art and money is at the heart of I Hate Hamlet, an offbeat comedy about an actor plagued by insecurities. Andrew Rally (Chris Plonka), the handsome star of a television show called “LA Medical,” moves to New York and has landed the role of a lifetime: Hamlet. Andrew has a lot of […]
Dear C, My daughter, Lila, is 14 and she had been complaining that she doesn’t want to go on visitations with her dad anymore. I have no reason to believe she’s in any danger or that there’s some kind of abuse going on. She doesn’t come home covered with bruises or telling stories about wild […]
There are times when the truth matters less than what shocks people — what plays into their fears and suspicions and spurs them on to outrage. This is particularly clear as of late in our Oxford Dictionary-declared post-truth era. A play about a compulsive liar who remorselessly ruins lives by playing on people’s paranoia is […]
To the Editor: Ever since the Invenergy Clear River power plant was proposed for Burrillville, the overwhelming majority of people in Rhode Island have been united in opposition, while many of the most powerful people in Rhode Island supported the plant. Governor Raimondo asked the people to trust the process, so the people did everything […]
Electro rock act Phantogram rose to prominence in 2016 in upstate New York. The duo of Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter released their stellar follow-up to their 2014 gem Voices with Three this past October and it reached high on numerous charts. Their incredible sound has a dedicated fan base, and it’s easy to understand […]
Two nights ago I was on Facebook and Meryl Streep was breaking the internet. I don’t own a television so I was unaware of what the hype was about. Someone pointed out that Meryl gave a heartfelt clap back to the Pres-Elect. Someone else pointed out she allied herself with masses, and one last accolade […]
From Saturday January 14 until Saturday January 21, 2017, Rhode Island Black Stories (RIBS) presents the 19th annual FUNDA Fest. FUNDA means to teach and learn in Zulu and KiSwahili, and for an entire week, adults and children will be able to experience some of the best cultural arts programming across Rhode Island at venues that […]
1. Thursday, January 12: 95.5 WBRU presents Phantogram, Foreign Air; Show 9pm; $25 advance / $30 day of; All ages; Lupo’s, 79 Washington St, PVD. Phantogram are on top of the food chain right now. In 2015, the band worked with Outkast’s Big Boi on a side project titled Big Grams. It was a terrific collaboration […]
Performers: Leeny Del Seamonds is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed storyteller of Hispanic/ Latino and world stories. Her performances are populated with a large cast of colorful characters, and include mime and an innate human empathy. As a dedicated teaching artist, Leeny encourages audiences to rejoice in their own diversity and share in her unique Cuban-American […]
