Hotter 'N Hell National Art Exhibition

The closing reception for Hotter 'N Hell National Art Exhibition 2026 will be held at Northwestern State University's Orville Hanchey Gallery on Saturday, Aug. 8 from 3 p..m. to 6 p.m. This year's exhibition features artists from 17 states.

The Hotter 'N Hell Exhibition is a juried show featuring all art forms that use fire and heat as a part of the creative process. That could include ceramics, glassblowing, welded sculpture, poured metals, wood-burning, metalsmithing, burned textiles and more. 

This year's juror is Michael Williams, MFA. Raised in Pineville, Williams is an artist whose work is grounded in a deep engagement with three-dimensional form and visual storytelling. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art with a Concentration in Ceramics from Louisiana College (now Louisiana Christian University) before continuing his studies at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi, where he received a Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts with a Three-Dimensional Studio Concentration.

William's artwork has been featured in more than twenty solo and group exhibitions, reflecting his ongoing commitment to material exploration and contemporary craft. In addition to his studio practrice, he is a published illustrator whose work spans multiple media.

He currently serves as the gallery director at Louisiana Christian University and is both a professor in the School of Media, Communication, and the Fire Arts, where he holds the Eugenia Colvin Dawson Professorship in Art. Through both his professional roles and his artistic practice, Williams continues to foster creative growth in his community while contributing to the broader visual arts field.