NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University Art Demons are turning up the heat this summer with a juried exhibition of pyrotechnical art by artists from across the United States.
The “Hotter ‘N Hell National Art Exhibition” encompasses all art forms that use fire and heat as part of the creative process, for example: ceramics, glass-casting, welded sculpture, poured metals, metalsmithing, jewelry-making, etc. All works must be ready for display. Work that requires special installation will be the responsibility of the artist to install. No work can exceed eight feet in any direction.
The deadline to enter is May 3. Artists should visit https://artist.callforentry.org to enter. Artists must be 18+ years of age to enter. There is a $35 entry fee. Participants must create an account via café, sign in, upload images to a portfolio, submit images and pay the fee with a card or Paypal. Notifications of acceptance will be sent May 24. The show will open July 2 in NSU’s Hanchey Gallery and run through Sept. 2 with a closing reception from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8.
Prizes are Best in Show ($500), Outstanding Collegiate Art ($500), second place ($300), third place ($200), and merit award ($100).
The juror for Hotter ‘N Hell 2023 is Michael W. Howes. Howes is a native and resident of Baton Rouge. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Louisiana State University and a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. Retiring after 30 years of teaching art in Louisiana universities, Howes continues to complete commissions for private residences and public settings. In collaboration with other sculptors and designers, he has also created public art works in the cities of Covington, Franklin, Monroe and Thibodaux.
Living and teaching in south Louisiana have had a profound effect on Howes’ art. His observation of and concern for the changing culture, vanishing coastline and endangered wetlands of the area are evident in his work. The flora and fauna of south Louisiana are the sources of the “Irds,” “Rugas,” and “Sects” that populate his drawings and sculpture. Using these creatures of his invention as metaphors, Howes expresses the vulnerability and the uniqueness of the people, animals, and plants of this unique region, highlighting the often unforeseen and unpredictable changes that occur in their surroundings.
More information on Howes is available at https://www.batonrougegallery.org/michael-w-howes.
For information on the competition, contact Hotter ‘N Hell Director and NSU Professor of Art Phyllis Lear at learp@nsula.edu.
Ird Dancing on a Lilly Pad
Ruga Head
