Working in compositions of intense color and order, his work reflects the fundamental elements and principals of art, emphasizing color, balance and composition. Although influenced by real events and images, his work is considered nonobjective abstraction. Pursuing a career in fine arts, Mr. Hurst has had gallery exhibitions in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and San Diego. He has been represented in Los Angeles by: Space, Adrienne Simard, Roy Boyd, Jan Baum, Janus, Simard-Halm, Koplin, and Lora Schlesinger.  

His works can be found in many corporate collections including, Hyatt Hotels, Bank of America, Harrahs Corporation, Hallmark Cards, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA Medical Plaza, Scripps Institute, IBM Corporation, Southern California Gas Company, Peabody Hotels, Mobil Oil, Munger, Tolles & Olson, The Weisman Family Foundation, Morrison & Forrester, Princess Enterprises and numerous private collections.

Public institutions exhibiting his work have included; Newport Harbor Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Oceanside Museum, Pasadena City College, Arco Center for the Visual Art, Kellogg University Art Gallery, Cirrus Gallery, and the Municipal Art Gallery, among others.

He was the owner/operator of a fine arts installation business from 1976 to 1997, serving a variety of public and private clients nationwide. During this time he served as a member of The Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Advisory Council for the Arts (1976-1999) and Chair, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Advisory Council for the Arts (1993-1997). Mr. Hurst came to College of the Canyons in the spring of 1997. Initially hired as an Instructional Lab Technician/Gallery Preparator (1997-2007), he has served as an adjunct instructor for the Art Department with assignments including:  2D Design, 3D Design, and Open Art Labs (Life Drawing, Printmaking, 3-D Design and Painting, 1999-2007). In the fall of 2007 he became the Director of the COC Art Gallery and has mounted 33 exhibitions since that time (2007-2011).