Local

Nixon Leger: Local Artist Creates Palette of Plantains and Possibilities

Abstract. Surreal. Soulful. Musical. Spiritual. African-inspired. Social injustice. Women’s beauty. All of these come to mind when we consider the works of North Providence artist Nixon Leger. Look no further than the cover of this issue to see for yourself: Leger chose a piece he calls The First Regiment. “I was just looking for something […]

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Rorschach State: Taking a look at gerry-meandering districts

Every ten years, the US Census Bureau is responsible for counting everyone in America. And every ten years, America’s cantankerous cartographers dust off their credentials and get their hands dirty creating house and senate district maps that are relatively even in population, so that no one representative in government has more constituents than their colleagues. […]

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Resurrection and Preservation: EcoRI News Roundup

Resurrection of Environmental Bills Held for Further Study in 2021 RI legislators returned to the General Assembly chambers in January, and environmental advocates are hoping to pass an ambitious agenda. The legislature is expected to consider several environmental and climate-related bills that fell by the wayside last session. At the top of the list of […]

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Purveying the Sweet and the Sarcastic: Two bakeries on the rise

This business profile ran as part of Motif’s Black History Month issue, centering the experiences of Black business owners. Alaska-native Nina Reed received her culinary degree from J&W over a decade ago, focusing on baking and pastries. After graduating, she returned to Alaska to complete her internship, but her love of RI and the solid […]

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Extreme Makeover, Mediator Edition: The Mediator Stage gets a fresh new look

The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in many closed doors. But the doors at The Mediator Stage have not only stayed open, they and the rest of the venue have been renewed, repainted, reinvigorated, and complemented with a spiffy new deck, sliders, and flooring. The Mediator’s open mic host and “music minister” Don Tassone has transformed […]

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Still an RI Institution, Even After “Knock It Off”: Frog and Toad continues to impress

In 2001, Erin Piorek Schofield and Asher Schofield found some retail space on Hope Street in PVD which they made their own to pursue Erin’s dream of being an entrepreneur. They chose the name due to their childhood admiration for Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad books; the shop, they decided, should aim to mimic Lobel’s […]

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Hands from Heaven: Athena’s Home Novelties saves your dry hands

Last year, hand sanitizer was a popular not-really-a-joke gift. This year, you can make up for it with a locally produced and sold magic hand formula. Dry, chapped hands can be painful, especially during the COVID era of extra handwashing and sanitizing.  Instead of grabbing some chemical-filled concoction from the local drugstore, if you’re looking […]

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More Fantastic Than Umbrellas: Charlestown’s Fantastic Umbrella Factory Inspires and Delights

The Fantastic Umbrella Factory in Charlestown describes itself as “a 19th century farmyard shopper’s paradise and international bazaar.” Understandably, we thought this sounded pretty cool.  Stop by the South County complex to visit a number of local artisans, including Small Axe Productions, selling domestic and imported gifts, musical instruments and more; The Purple Shell, an […]

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