John Melillo Shares His Talents & Healing with Fellow Veterans

Prolific East End artist and Vietnam veteran John Melillo is back at Southampton Cultural Center (25 Pond Lane) for his fourth annual Life Goes On art and video exhibition exploring his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder following retirement, his healing through art, and his lifelong love and connection with eastern Long Island. This year, as Melillo gains steadier footing in his own life, the artist and Eastport resident has gone from being student to teacher, and he’s using his growing popularity as a painter to help shine a light on organizations that are helping other veterans like him.

Last year, Melillo began the difficult process of unlocking new memories from his war experience, specifically about a German Shepherd named King, who he bonded with deeply before the dog, who saved his life, was killed in Vietnam. Now, in honor of King’s memory, Melillo is working with Paws of War, which rescues and pairs service dogs with veterans and first responders, and he has painted a series of service dog portraits in tribute to their good work.

Continuing the theme of animals helping veterans, Melillo is also working with Pal-O-Mine Equestrian, a program that puts veterans and horses together for powerful healing. He has painted portraits of these horses, which will be on view with his dog portraits at SCC, along with his images from Vietnam and the always growing array of pieces depicting East End life and locales, including beaches, lighthouses, fishing and agricultural scenes, and more from this special part of the world.

The Life Goes On Part 4 show opens at Southampton Cultural Center with a reception on Thursday, August 15 from 4–7 p.m. which will include the premiere of his latest video showing Melillo visiting Paws of War and Pal-O-Mine, and learning about what they do for veterans who are suffering. Guests will enjoy live music and refreshments at the event.

Leading up to the new show, Melillo discussed how his world has expanded and his art has grown, literally and figuratively. “This year, I’ve gone to a bit different style painting. I have gone a little outside my comfort box,” the artist explains, pointing out that he’s also working on much bigger canvases now, moving up from 14- by 18-inch and 16- by 20-inch pieces to 40- by 30-inch and 36- by 24-inch compositions. “Sometimes I come up with the same painting in a different size, and even though it is the same content, it takes on a completely different nature,” he says.

Melillo found painting offered him relief from gut wrenching memories of his time in Vietnam, which suddenly surfaced when he retired in 2017, some 45 years after he served as an U.S. Army MP (Military Police) at Long Binh Post, the largest U.S. base in the country, from 1970 to 1972. After getting a PTSD diagnosis, Melillo discovered he had an untapped talent for art and making it did much to quiet the cacophony and chaos of war that was living inside his head.

“I have a constant need to paint now,” Melillo says, noting that he’s started teaching art and showing that it can provide some relief for others who are in pain. He shares the Zen-like beauty of the act of painting with his students. “I say, ‘Listen, what do you hear?’ And the answer is, nothing,” Melillo says. “…You’re not thinking about, did I turn the light off at home? Did I leave the oven on? Did I close the door? You know, you’re thinking about putting paint on that painting, I say. And that means you’re focusing and you’re relaxing.”

Melillo points out that painting is just one thing a person can do to find peace, the way putting brush to canvas did for him. “Find something that you can do that will do that for you,” he says, suggesting activities like dancing, fishing or anything else that draws one’s attention and focus. “It’s very rewarding, very relaxing, and it accomplishes not only things for me, I’ve seen it accomplish things for others, which is most important.”

The teaching and getting himself out in the community, especially among veterans, led Melillo to all the exciting things happening this year, including his work with Paws of War and Pal-O-Mine. “We’ve kind of metamorphosed ourselves from the worm to the butterfly a little bit,” he says, adding, “And I don’t know where we’re going from here, but I know we’re still growing.”

Life Goes On Part 4 opens this Thursday, August 8, with an opening reception the following Thursday, August 15 at Southampton Cultural Center, 25 Pond Lane. A second reception is scheduled for Sunday, August 25 from 1–4 p.m. Visit scc-arts.org for more info about the show.

Learn more about John Melillo and his art at artfeelingsjm.com.