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,...
We all have narcissists in our lives, whether in our family, friendships, workplaces, or our beds. One in every six persons around the world has narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), and that number is growing. We think of narcissists as people who love their reflection (actually self-loathing), but it is so much more disruptive than that. […]
It’s February; love is in the air! A dreary month caught in the middle of the winter hangover leftover from December’s holiday excitement, broken up by the lover’s excitement and extravagant experiences, chocolates, flowers and those obnoxious large teddy bears that somehow last until the end of time. One thing people don’t usually think about […]
Salt “We are fatally drawn toward anyone who seems to offer a way out of ourselves”, Joan Didion. I At the beginning, the salty smell, Followed me home, every even day, in the evenings, As I drove in cabs. Admittedly, the smell was bizarre to me, I thought, soma, maybe unbalanced bacteria, No bother to […]
In the intimate, shaggy sphere of Providence’s classic Avon Cinema, a row of college students sit in their winter parkas. They are taking ample time before the lights go down to talk; munching popcorn and biting off the heads of twizzlers with gloved hands. The heat in the cinema has turned off, and everyone’s breath […]
In 2006, Trinity Rep told the true, poignant stories of Rhode Islanders deployed in Iraq with the play Boots on the Ground. Nearly 20 years later, they now ask important questions as this legacy lives on. What have we forgotten? How have these very different people come together to heal? Someone Will Remember Us interlaces […]
Despite its small size, RI has a surprising number of emblematic foods. Many seem random, like the New York System weiner or the Awful-Awful. But others make sense. I’m talking about the seafood. With over 400 miles of coastline, the bounty of Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean are always close at hand. Summer beach […]
Love is in the air and your legs will be too after a few of these! Aphrodisiacs are foods, drinks or herbs that increase one’s desire for sex. Not all of these work in the same way – some increase testosterone, some may lower cortisol making you more relaxed. Chocolate and strawberries, canonically associated with […]
If there were candy conversation hearts for beer lovers, what would they say? I came up with a few: BEER ME, WYSO, WANNA PINT, HOPPY 4 U, LUKR LOVE, and WILL U BEER MINE? I might be onto something. Conversations via candy might be a more effective way to communicate. From my single-life experience, I […]
Okee dokee folks… I am seriously worried about funding for the arts and for that matter, most other programs that rely on government resources. The Mango Moron has been putting his swishy, Sharpie signature on so many unconstitutional executive orders that it’s hard to keep track. Can Canada please annex New England? At least there […]
In a city bursting at the seams with culinary standouts, it’s difficult not to fixate on the tried and true institutions, the cliches and must-trys of PVD’s restaurant scene. We all know who they are; they’ve been written about extensively, both within these pages and in other local publications. They occupy prime real estate in […]
