arts & entertainment

After four years of research and production, the award-winning film The Painted Life of Gregory Gillespie arrives as the first feature-length documentary examining the life and art of Gregory Gillespie (1936–2000), the extraordinary late-20th-century painter and iconoclast. The film screening and discussion take place at the Vero Beach Museum of Art (VBMA) on Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m., as part of the Museum’s Second Saturday free-admission program.

Gillespie, who had his first solo show in 1966, became known for meticulously painted figurative paintings, landscapes, and self-portraits. Many of his early works were made by painting over photographs cut from newspapers or magazines, transforming the scenes through photographic collage, and adding imaginary elements. In his later work, Gillespie created hyper-realistic imagery, focusing on a looser, more expressive style. His work is in the collections of the Whitney Museum, the Arkansas Arts Center, the Butler Institute of American Art, and the Hirshhorn Museum, among others.

In The Painted Life of Gregory Gillespie, Director Evan Goodchild draws on previously unseen archival footage and extensive interviews with artists, family, and art-world insiders to uncover the full story of the artist’s escape from an insular New Jersey upbringing to study in New York and Italy. In the 90-minute feature, Goodchild learns that an artist committed suicide in the converted art studio where he lived for three years. Further investigation reveals it wasn’t just any artist, but Gillespie, an American master of surreal, haunting paintings and sculptures.

Gillespie’s life and work have proven to be challenging and rewarding subjects, according to Goodchild, “Researching Gregory Gillespie has been both delightful and confounding…His paintings were brooding and painful, yet his personality was buoyant and approachable. He observed the great mystery quite closely.”

Following the screening, attendees are invited to hear from Goodchild and Rick Segal—collector, friend of Gillespie, VBMA Board Chair, and a producer of the film—for a conversation about the project and the artist’s legacy. Having lived in Gillespie’s studio after his passing, Goodchild brings a unique personal perspective, while Segal reflects on his many encounters with the artist, some of which are immortalized in paint.

Admission to the Museum is free on May 9; however, space is limited for this program, and advanced registration is required. Register at vbmuseum.org.