If design could represent people, culture, or celebration, what would it be? And what would that mean for the Nashville Predators?
To answer these questions and give the Smashville team a special look ahead of Wednesday’s Black History Month celebration, the Predators spoke to Karina State University, Tennessee State University College of Art and Design Dean and Associate Professor of Graphic Design. I asked for sales help.
A passionate artist and storyteller, Sales jumped at the opportunity to weave the foundations of history and modern culture into a challenging new canvas.
“Honestly, it’s been a very rewarding job for me personally,” Sales said. “As a design professor and design researcher, I am very interested in broadening the narrative in design and valuing diverse perspectives. We really aim to expand our understanding of what that means.”
Assisting with sales with her design was Predators graphic designer Tayshaun Hassell, a Western Kentucky University graduate and proud Black artist.
For Hassell, working with Sales and exploring themes of Black culture and celebration was a truly enriching experience.
“It was great just to be a part of it,” Hassell said. “An opportunity to learn a little bit about something by being able to accomplish something much bigger than yourself and tell a cool story in the process, while also giving people a chance to learn and explore what this design is all about.” ”Probably more than usual. ”
The design process started with research, and the pair ended up winning the gold medal when they came across the NBA’s “City Edition” uniforms.
“We were really inspired by how accurately those designs reflected the cities they were targeted for, and that sparked a lot of original ideas,” Sales said. Ta. “How do we come up with something that doesn’t just celebrate Black History Month in general, but really celebrates the people and the culture?”
To capture the vibrancy of contemporary black culture, the designer wove a geometric tapestry inspired by jazz, combining improvised shapes, colors, and textures.
“There’s an energy to these dynamic shapes and lines that gives the design a sense of life, in the same way that jazz music is improvisational, fluid and fun,” Sales said. “And that part was really important because when I think about my own culture, when I think about the people I know and the community that I come from, there’s a lot of vibrancy and energy there. That’s why I wanted to reflect that in the design.”
Sales and Hassell also stepped away from history and landed on four Adinkra symbols from West Africa that represent universal themes of divinity, wisdom, love, and harmony.
“What I love about these particular symbols is that they represent universal principles,” Sales said. “No matter what community we come from, these principles unite us and unite our humanity.”
Another attractive design element can be found in the jersey numbers and lettering. This font uses the “Martin” typeface, a font that closely resembles the print on nonviolent protest signs from the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike.
The completed jersey, which Smashville will see in person on Wednesday, combines all three elements into a design that symbolizes all the core tenets of Black History Month at once.
“If we really sat down and took the time to investigate what all of this means, I think it would be much more serious,” Hassell said. “It was definitely a cool piece of work. I’m so honored and grateful to be able to work with such a creative mind and produce something like this.”
From now until the second break of Wednesday’s game, fans can bid on a custom player-signed jersey by texting PREDS to 76278, with proceeds going to the Nashville Predators Foundation .
Additionally, fans who purchase a special Black History Month commemorative package will receive a T-shirt with the design along with their ticket. Click here to stay safe.
The Predators celebrate Black History Month in a variety of ways. Click here for more information.