Side By Side
An Exhibition by Lou Messa & Del Compton
Grills Gallery| October 2nd - October 31, 2026
Opening Reception| Friday, October 2, 2026| 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Lou Messa
Madison County, Virginia, resident Lou Messa has been a professional painter since 1970. His style reflects the country landscapes and buildings that he paints: lush landscapes and old, run-down buildings, painted with exquisite detail.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lou spent three years studying at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts after high school. Once drafted into the Army, he became an illustrator, and once out of service, decided that he wanted to paint for a living. Cue a change of scenery as he and his family moved from Pennsylvania to the rural area of Madison, Virginia. Now, over 40 years later, Lou still paints and has paintings hung in many galleries along the East Coast, specializing mainly in acrylics on panel and paper, as well as watercolors.
Del Compton
I was raised on a farm in Orange, Va., where we raised beef cattle, sheep, and crop farming. I was a member of the Orange County Rescue Squad while attending High School. After graduation from High School, I joined the Army from 1968 through 1971, serving with STRATCOM.
After the Army, I completed my college degree in Business Management and went on to a successful career in retail management for the next fifteen years. During this time, I was the President of the Culpeper United Heart Association.
Then I went on to a US government position for the next twenty-eight years. During this time, I obtained my BA degree, completed the National Radio Institute (NRI) Schools Radio Communication program, and completed the Certified Electronics Technician (ISCET) program. I retired in November 2012 and took a position with a Government subcontractor for another fourteen years before retiring altogether.
After retiring for the second time, I keep myself busy with several hobbies, including lots of lawn projects, golfing, amateur radio (HAM), building model ships, keeping up our very old house (built in 1816), upholstery, and land and seascape paintings.