About me

My name is Eric Carlson and I am a new professor at Bemidji State University where I teach courses in illustration and design. I hold a BS in Art Education with an emphasis in 2D Design and my master’s work is in art education with courses from Art of Education University and Augsburg College. My experiences include four years of working as an illustrator and graphic designer for Mad Science of Minnesota and Schoolhouse Chess and ten years of teaching K-12 art at Kelliher Public School and Jefferson Community School in Minneapolis. Five of my years at Kelliher included managing and operating a Fab Lab makerspace and designing curriculum around 3D printing, dye-sublimation printing, and CNC fabrication. The Kelliher School Fab Lab won the Profiles in Excellence award in 2017 from the Minnesota Rural Education Association (MREA) and I was a semifinalist for Teacher of the Year in Minnesota in 2018. I have a special interest in graphic novels and the maker movement.