Artist Matt Speck with PIttsburgh Pirate Andrew McCutchen showcasing some of Speck’s handiwork. (Photo from Matt Speck’s Instagram)
I was visiting my father in Adams County, IN, late this summer and he had a copy of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette my sister and brought to share with him following a recent trip she’d made to western Pennsylvania.
One of the articles in that day’s Sports Section was about a Pittsburgh-area native who’s carved out quite a niche for himself in the art scene. The story featured Matt Speck, a muralist, who’s added customized footwear for NFL, MLB, and local college and high school athletes to his portfolio.
The article told the story of how Matt grew up going to Pittsburgh Steelers’ games every season with his grandfather and fell in love with all things Pittsburgh sports. It was, in fact, a lengthy conversation with his now deceased grandfather that convinced him to leave a position in marketing (his field of study at the University of Pittsburgh) to pursue his passion … art.
After reading this feature, it was apparent to me that Matt would make a terrific guest on Conversations. Needless to say, when we finally found a time that worked for both of us, I was ecstatic to have him join. This episode is the resulting Conversation where Matt shares his sports fan journey, how a not-so-small lie led to him breaking into the custom cleat field, and his desire to do something for his hometown NHL franchise as well.
You’re able to find Matt’s work at his website, speckcustoms.com, and his X/Twitter and Instagram pages.