Mammoth, Artist JayCee Beyale Team up for Special

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Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth, Artist JayCee Beyale Team up for Special "Get in the Box" Card Design

December 26, 2024 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


DENVER - Fans planning to attend the Colorado Mammoth's Native American Heritage Night Sunday night should be sure to pick up this week's Get in the Box cards (located just inside the doors of your favorite Ball Arena entrance).

Not only is the placard the gateway to the fan-favorite in-game interaction as fans hold up the storied Get in the Box cards and chant "GET IN THE BOX" each time an opposing team's player works his way to the penalty box ...

... but this weekend's edition comes with a special story, crafted by a talented member of the very community the Mammoth are recognizing during the rare Sunday matinee matchup.

JayCee Beyale Native American Heritage Night GITB Card Design

Enter JayCee Beyale, the local artist who designed the one-of-a-kind installation ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Georgia Swarm.

Living in the trendy River North (RiNo) neighborhood of downtown Denver - the talented design enthusiast moved to the area a few years back to bring a unique opportunity to life: Having his art featured within the RedLine Contemporary Art Center, a popular shared-space studio for aspiring artists.

His two-year residency, which recently ended in October, provided Beyale and fellow artists an opportunity to design and feature their work within the art-forward neighborhood.

And while he may be 41 years old as he prepares to attend his first Mammoth matchup inside the LOUD HOUSE Sunday afternoon, he's been sketching and creating art ever since he was a child.

Eventually graduating from the University of New Mexico in 2008 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, he leaned on his art degree while he continued to figure out exactly what, where, how and why he would make a living via his passion.

Previously working in Colorado Springs in an embroidering shop, he spent eight years defining his talents while zooming in on the pros and cons of that part of the art world. Eventually shifting gears to pursue a similar job in a related screen-printing field, he later found himself more attracted to the art and design aspect of the printing business, soon taking a similar gig in Boulder, Colorado where he would be afforded some additional time to create.

Some downtime following the pandemic and another job switch later, he currently finds himself designing graphics for NDN Collective, a non-profit, Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Ingenious power.

"We work with indigenous communities across the nation," Beyale shared of his professional journey which ultimately allowed him the chance to explore his personal art goals.

"Once I got involved with that, that allowed me to work from home. Being able to work from home and having some time to make art made me want to pursue that avenue even further. It had always been a passion but the problem was more or less finding the time for it and there was an avenue for me to start to get this type of work out there."

Having spent the past three years ramping up his artistic efforts while remaining open to various opportunities and avenues for growth, he's teamed up with all sorts of schools, teams, communities and beyond as he continues to enjoy the time and effort that he puts into uplifting others.

As an artist who enjoys engaging his audience and community by providing a bit more of an experience than a traditional painting on the wall, he's excelled in the parameters of the mural world while continuing to keep an eye and ear to unique, "actionable" opportunities.

Exactly how he got involved with the Colorado Mammoth for this weekend's Native American Heritage Night. Having designed some special edition elements for both the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche in the past, he knew his chance to design the LOUD HOUSE's ultimate activation (the team's Get in the BOX cards) was an opportunity he wouldn't surpass.

Especially given his Indigenous roots.

As a member of the Navajo Nation, he's proud to help tell the stories of his people's past through his artistic installments while remaining dedicated to creating new stories of growth and understanding.

Set to take in his first night of LOUD HOUSE camaraderie Sunday afternoon as the Mammoth prepare to take on the Georgia Swarm, Beyale took some time to share more about his background, inspiration that went into the custom piece and beyond. Read on to learn more about the artist, his work, and beyond:

What type of art do you enjoy creating most?

I really like the multimedia stuff that I'm working with where I'm using a lot of different materials - creating more lived experiences when it comes to art engagement. Instead of just putting a painting on the wall, I'm interested in creating an experience for people to kind of take in these environments and installations. And really just having fun with that allows me to involved sound, lights, some sculpture work and painting. I have the ability to kind of create these environments, so I'm really liking the multimedia stuff. Murals would be my second favorite, because that also involves public engagement, where everybody gets to enjoy them. Plus, the conversations had when creating them are excellent, so those are probably my two favorite things right now.

What made you want to get involved with the Mammoth for this project?

Lacrosse is an indigenous game and that's why I've worked with the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) as well. Knowing the history of the game and knowing there's a pair of professional lacrosse teams here in Denver has allowed me to learn about those leagues and how much of a following there is. When I think about the history of the game and where Indigenous communities are at today, this was a chance for me to kind of share that and honor the game in that way - But also still share about the impacts of modernity when it comes to indigenous communities to shine light on that. This was an opportunity to work alongside the organization but also share a perspective of the game that some may not know about. I'm grateful for the opportunity because I've been thinking about the Mammoth and wanting to learn more and being able to work alongside the team. For me, it was pretty much a given, first and foremost, because it was a game crated by Indigenous folks in the northeast. So, I wanted to shed some light and bring some history to the game and design.

Why is it important for the Mammoth to honor the background of the Creator's Game and those who created the sport we love?

I think it's an opportunity for us to collaborate and develop community while gaining a better understanding of our histories. One night is often not enough but it's also an opportunity to shed the light on it. At least there's an acknowledgement and recognition for the folks who brought this game forth. Being able to share space, even if for just one night, is a beautiful experience for everyone to cherish and look back and reflect on how this game has changed their lives or how the game has been brought to them. What type of healing and support it brings to not only their physical abilities but their spiritual and mental beings. Not only for themselves, for the fans and community, because this is a great way to celebrate and be a part of something that's always been here. Allowing the opportunity to share this history with everyone on this particular night is beautiful because it's not every day that you get to do this, especially alongside a professional team like the Mammoth. It's very rare and that rarity is very special.

Can you tell us a bit about your indigenous background and how it's reflected in your work?

I'm Navajo, or "Diné (pronounced Di-Neh). We didn't play lacrosse but that's where I grew up, in the southwest. I was raised in the Four Corners, so I was raised in a border town, meaning the reservation was not that far from the biggest community where we had access to groceries and things like that. Six siblings - One of six boys, one sister. Full-blooded and just been working through figuring out who I am and what I am as an indigenous person. I was raised to speak English and rarely was taught things about my culture at times. I've done enough investigation and had the ability to experience a lot more than most others when it comes to that, and I try to highlight that through my works and by paying homage to Navajo weavers, Navajo sand painters and Navajo jewelers through my work with all of these geometric patterns as you can see within the piece I've created for the Mammoth.

Walk us through this piece - What was the inspiration?

The inspiration is mostly from Navajo rug weaving designs. Rug weavers were well-recognized within communities because of their abilities, but also they are carriers of stories, visually. There is a long history and creation story related to rug weavers and I wanted to honor them and recognize their abilities for the various creations they've made. They are very beautiful when it comes to the patterns and the wool and materials needed to create these pieces. There's a lot of production involved and it takes a community. From the sheep herders who raised the sheep to those who shear and process the wool so that it can become something workable to create these rug weavings. The process of dying and having this relationship through the environment and the various minerals used to get different colors. I've always been intrigued and inspired by that because it's such a laborious process. The design I created was more of an interpretation of rug patterns and trying to get abstract with it. They're pretty geometric and abstract on their own but they're also references to different patterns that have significance in relation to landscape or cloud formations, which is kind of what I was sharing - that connection to the environment but also to the sky, and how they're interrelated and co-dependent on each other to exist. Often times I see these geometric patterns, even though they are very static, I wanted to give them some life and motion because that's what they represent. What I created for this particular piece was giving these patterns a lot of movement and the movement is a reflection of the game: the speed and the action of it. I envision a player having these streaks flying off their back as they're running doing the field and I wanted to add some energy and excitement to what I was creating. Even though it's very simple in its form, that's what I was trying to achieve with various textures that are reminiscent of street art because of my appreciation and involvement with mural works. The colors used are obviously of the Mammoth, but they are also very southwestern in approach with the maroon and the black and the grays, very earth-toned in a way.

What kind of hardware/software did you use for this project?

I used Adobe Illustrator and a lot of graphic design programs. That's my line of work, so I'm on my computer every day. There is this reliance on my computer, just like everyone else. I use a Mac and I think they are a bit more friendly when it comes to designers. I tried to use a PC but I'm a Mac guy for sure. I used a lot of Adobe programs like Photoshop and Illustrator for designs like this - I'll just jump back and forth and kind of manipulate things in Photoshop and build a lot in Illustrator. It's a lot of balance between the two to get the visual I was looking for.

What kind of advice or motivational messages do you have for aspiring artists?

For anyone who wants to pursue the arts, it's continually giving it time, space and practice. And to elevate and push your skills a little bit further. That becomes your language and your voice - so the more versed you are with it, the louder you can speak. I encourage any young folks who want to be an artist to give it time. Take a break from social media, video games and all of that stuff to be with yourself and to connect and create. That's one of the things we'll always have and been able to cherish - Nobody will be able to take that from you or tell you how to do it. It's about staying consistent and constantly being inspired and to really look out for people to help you build your skills and to teach you new things because there's always something new to learn and something to help elevate your works. There's no telling when opportunities will show themselves. Remember to do it for yourself first and to work towards an opportunity, but that's not the end goal. The end goal is to have peace and to have complete creative freedom to do as you wish and allow that to be an opportunity to engage with others at a different level. We create things and we never know how they are going to impact somebody, so always remember that and to work from that place.

With 3500 special edition "Get in the Box" cards available Sunday afternoon, fans should be sure to get inside, claim theirs early and prepare to TUSK UP as the team looks to build on its fiery 3-1 start to the season during a matinee showdown against former Mammoth legend Joey Cupido and the Georgia Swarm.

Fans can stay tuned to coloradomammoth.com and Colorado Mammoth social media channels for the latest news, game results, community happenings and beyond!

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