Education
Master of Fine Arts
Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS, 2008
Bachelor of Arts in Art w/ Professional Emphasis
Doane College, Crete, NE, 2003
Experience
Department of Art & Design Chair, Doane University
Crete, NE 2021-Present
Artist in Residency, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston, TX, 2017 (Sabbatical)
Art Department Chair, Doane University
Crete, NE, 2012-2016
Associate Professor of Art, Doane University
Crete, NE, 2016 – Present
- ART 110 (3D – Design)
- ART 206 (Intro. To Professional Practices)
- ART 209 (Sculpture)
- ART 231 (Ceramics Hand building)
- ART 232 (Ceramics Throwing)
- ART 333 (Ceramic Problems I)
- ART 334 (Ceramic Problems II)
- ART 435 (Advanced Ceramics)
- ART 460 (Advanced Professional Practices)
Belvoir Terrace Ceramic Instructor
Lenox, MA, 2012 – Summer
Assistant Professor of Art, Doane College
Crete, NE, 2010 – 2016
Adjunct Professor of Art, Doane College
Crete, NE, 2009-10
Artist in Residency
Albia, IA, 2008 – 09
Jim Romberg’s Assistant
Penland School of Arts and Crafts – “Raku Ceramics: New Approaches & Processes,” 2007
Summer Graduate Assistant
FHSU, Ceramics – Raku Workshop, 2006
Graduate Assistant
- Ceramics
- 260 (Handbuilding)
- 360 (Throwing)
- 665 (Advanced Undergraduate Ceramics), 2005-2007
- History
- 180 (Fundamentals and Appreciation of Art), 2005-2007
Grants
- “Glaze Research and Experimentation” 2006
- Small Research Student Grant, FHSU, Graduate School
- $420.00
Honors/ Awards
- Heart of the Art Award, Lincoln Arts Council, Lincoln, NE 2020
- Merit Award, Iowa Sculpture festival, Newton, IA, 2015
- Mayors Award, Lincoln Arts Festival, Lincoln, NE, 2013
- Best of Show, Iowa Sculpture Festival, Newton, IA, 2013
- Merit Award, Iowa Sculpture Festival, Newton, IA, 2012
- Best of Show, Annual Governor’s Art Show, North Platte, NE, 2010
- Best of Show, Lincoln Arts Festival, Lincoln, NE, 2009
- Third Place, Iowa Sculpture Festival, Newton, IA, 2009
- Best of Show & Best Booth Award, Albia Restoration Days Art Show, Albia, IA, 2008
- Outstanding Thesis/ Field Study Graduate Award, FHSU, Hays, KS, 2008
- 38th Annual Smoky Hill Art Competition and Exhibition, Hays, KS
- Best of Show, 2007
- Russell Original Art Review (ROAR), Russell, KS
- Second Place & Honorable Mention, 2007
- Russell Original Art Review (ROAR), Russell, KS
- Honorable Mention, 2006
- NebraskaLand Days Competitive Art Show, North Platte, NE
- Top Ten Award (2006, 2003)
- Honorable Mention (2006, 2004)
- North Platte Art Gallery Pastel Competition, North Platte, NE
- Placed in Juried Competition (2nd), 2003
- Mary L. Chapin Art Award
- Doane College Senior Outstanding Art Achievement, 2003
Presentations
- Nebraska Carvers Association, Lincoln, NE, 2013
- Linda Ganstrom and Eric Stearns, “Raku Rodeo – Developing an Approach to Expand Raku Research and Creative Application,” Second Annual Midwestern Conference on Research at Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS, 2007
- Graduate Image Forum, NCECA, Louisville, KY, 2007
- Kansas Artist and Craftsman Association (KACA)
- National Council on the Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA)
Workshops Presented
- Virtual Demonstration: Lincoln Arts Council, Doane University, 2020
- Diamond Core: Presenter/Demonstration, NCECA, Minneapolis, MN 2019
- AMACO: Presenter/Demonstrator, NCECA, Pittsburg, PA 2018
- Electric Kiln Raku Demonstration, Des Moines Arts Center, Des Moines, IA, 2017
- Summer Art Workshops, Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village, NV, 2017
- Pierced Precision, Salt Lake City Clay Guild, Salt Lake City, UT, 2017
- Ceramics Inspired, Clay Houston, Houston, TX, 2017
- Ceramics in the Classroom, Wyoming Art Educators Conference, Ten Sleep, WY 2016
- Piercing Demonstration, Wichita Pottery, Wichita, KS, 2016
- Meredith Host Collaboration, Bracker’s Good Earth Clays, Lawrence, KS, 2016
- Raku Workshop, McPherson College, McPherson, KS, 2014
- Pierced Precision, Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, IN, 2015
- KACA, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS, 2014
- Throwing Demonstration, Prairie Arts Center, North Platte, NE, 2014
- Carved in Clay, Bracker’s Good Earth Clays, Lawrence, KS, 2014
- Raku Rodeo, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS, 2014
- Second Saturday, Bracker’s Good Earth and Clay, Lawrence, KS, 2013
- Throwing Demonstration, Concordia University, Seward, NE, 2013
- Rakuness: The Passion, The Art, The Artist, Centre of Arts and Artists, Newton, IA, 2009
- Contemporary Raku, Marshall County Arts Cooperative, Marshall County, KS, 2009
- Electric Kiln Raku, Albia, IA, 2008
- Advanced Throwing Demonstration, Garden City Community College, Garden City, KS, 2008
- Advanced Raku and Throwing Demonstration, University of Nebraska- Kearney, Kearney, NE, 2007
- Throwing and Surface Design Demonstrations, North Platte High School, North Platte, NE, 2007
- Throwing Demonstration, North Central Kansas Art Show, Clay Center, KS, 2007
- Raku and Throwing Demonstration, Albia, IA, 2006
- Horse Hair Firing Technique, High School Arts Days, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS, 2006
Exhibitions
- Evolution of Color, solo exhibition, Norfolk Arts Center, Norfolk, NE 2021
- Nebraska: Artist Biennial, Gallery 1516, Omaha, NE 2021
- “Private Collection,” Rall Gallery, Doane University, 2020
- “Think Outside the Jar…” NCECA, Minneapolis, MN 2019
- “Fortitude” FHSU Alumni Exhibition, Pittsburg, KS, 2018
- Sabbatical Exhibition, Rall Gallery, Doane University, Crete, NE, 2018
- Exhibitors Exhibition, 18 Hands Gallery, NCECA, Pittsburg, PA, 2018
- 33rd Annual Sculpture in the Park, International Juried Show, Loveland, CO, 2017
- Offerings, Burkholder Project, Lincoln, NE 2017
- Workshop Instructor’s, Tahoe Gallery, Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village, NV, 2017
- Transparent, Tea + Art, Houston, TX, 2017
- Reduce, Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC, 2017
- Off the Table! Plates for the Wall, National Ceramic Exhibition, Missouri
- Western State University, St. Joseph, MO, 2016
- Midwest Mentors, NCECA Exhibition, Bracker’s Good Earth Clay, Lawrence, KS, 2016
- 31st Annual Sculpture in the Park, International Juried Show, Loveland, CO, 2015
- 30th Annual Sculpture in the Park, International Juried Show, Loveland, CO, 2014
- Raku Ceramics: Origins, Impact, and Contemporary Expression,
- International Invitational Exhibition, Sedona, AZ, 2014
- Moving On…, Burkholder Project, Lincoln, NE, 2013
- Lincoln Arts Festival, National Juried Show, Lincoln, NE, 2013, Mayors Choice
- 11th Annual Iowa Sculpture Festival, National Juried Show, Newton, IA, 2013, Best of Show
- Memories, Burkholder Project, Lincoln, NE 2012
- 10th Annual Iowa Sculpture Festival, National Juried Show, Newton, IA, 2012, Award of Merit
- Simpatico, Invitational, Hastings College, Hastings, NE, 2011
- Burkholder Project, Member Exhibition, Lincoln, NE, 2011
- 40th Annual Governor’s Art Show, Regional Juried Show, North Platte, NE, 2011
- 27th Annual Sculpture in the Park, International Juried Show, Loveland, CO, 2010
- Iowa Sculpture Festival, National Juried Show, Newton, IA, 2010
- 39th Annual Governor’s Art Show, Regional Juried Show, North Platte, NE, 2010
- Lincoln Arts Festival, National Juried Show, Lincoln, NE, 2009
- 26th Annual Sculpture in the Park, International Juried Show, Loveland, CO, 2009
- The Other Art Show, National Juried Show, Des Moines, IA, 2009
- Iowa Sculpture Festival, National Juried Show, Newton, IA, 2009
- Brookside Art Fair, National Juried Show, Kansas City, MO, 2009
- Rakuness: A Cooperative of Ideas; Passion and Art, Solo Show, Centre of Arts and Artists, Newton, IA, 2008
- Albia Restoration Days Art Show, Invitational Juried Art Festival, Albia, IA, 2008
- 37th Annual Governor’s Art Show, Regional Juried Show, North Platte, NE, 2008
- Kansas Collegiate Aesthetics, Statewide Juried Show, Lindsborg, KS, 2008
- 76th Annual Plaza Art Fair, National Juried Show, Kansas City, MO, 2007
- Fort Robinson Art Show, Invitational Art Festival, Crawford, NE, 2007
- 36th Annual Governor’s Art Show, Regional Juried Show, North Platte, NE, 2007
- 38th Annual Smoky Hill Art Competition and Exhibition, Regional Juried Show, Hays, KS, 2007
- FHSU Master of Fine Arts Graduate Student Exhibition, Invitational Art Exhibition, Garden City Community College, Garden City, KS, 2007
- Albia Restoration Days Art Show, Invitational Juried Art Festival, Albia, IA, 2006
- Fort Robinson Art Show, Invitational Art Festival, Crawford, NE, 2006
- NebraskaLand Days Competitive Art Show, North Platte, NE, 2006
- Fort Hays State University Ceramic Student Exhibition, Dodge City Community College, Dodge City, KS, 2006
- Members and Guest Invitational, The Burkholder Project, Lincoln, NE, 2005
- Alternative Firings by Eric L. Stearns, Solo Alumni Exhibition, Doane College, Rall Gallery, Crete, NE, 2005
- Solo Senior Show, Doane College, Rall Gallery, Crete, NE, 2003
- MindExpo, A Showcase of Undergraduate Academic Excellence, Group Invitational, Doane College, Crete, NE, 2003
Exhibitions Curated
- 13th Annual Norfolk Arts Center Exhibition, Juror, 2020
- Graduate Exhibit, Garden City Community College, Garden City, KS, 2007
Professional Service
- Ceramic Badge, Girl Scouts, Doane University, 2018
- Stearns Ceramics Scholarship $1000 3D, Wyoming State Art Symposium, 2017
- Empty Bowls, 100 Bowl Donation, Houston, TX, 2017
- Hands-on Houston, Community Tile Design, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX 2017
- Fundraising, Exhibition & Donation, Lincoln Arts Council, What fills your cup? Bryan Health, Lincoln, NE, 2017
- Fundraising, Exhibition & Donation, Voices for Children Community Cup Project, Omaha, NE 2014-15
- National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Student Critiques, 2012-2017
- Art & General Art Endorsements Ad Hoc Committee, Nebraska Council on Teacher Education, Lincoln, NE, 2014
- One Million Bones Project, Washington, DC, 2013
Gallery Representation
- Anderson O’Brien, Omaha, NE
- Horizon Fine Art Gallery, Jackson, WY
- Burkholder Project, Lincoln, NE
Publications
- Mastering Kilns & Firing, Image Publication, pg. 88, 2020
- Southwest Art Image Publication, pg. 28, July 2018
- Western Art & Architecture, Illuminations: Ones to watch, June/July 2017, Michele
- Corriel, http://westernartandarchitecture.com/Article/illuminations-ones-to-watch29, 2017
- Artist Feature, Precision Piercing, Pottery Making Illustrated, Jan/Feb. 2016
- Heather Johnson, “The hands of the potter,” North Platte Telegraph, online article,
- July 2014 http://m.nptelegraph.com/news/local_news/the-hands-of-the-potter/article_a9e9f2c4-fb7a-5155-b9b0-7b277118b010.html?mode=jqm
- Lance Schwartz, Lance’s Journal: Doane’s Ceramic Specialist, 1011 Now, online
- Artist Feature, Vollendete Formen, Creativ100.de, online article (German Publication), Oct 2013
- Online Article: Creativ100.de (German Publication) Oct. 2013
- In publication: International Porcelain Artists and Teachers
- In press. Newton Daily News. Iowa Sculpture Festival. June 14, 2013.
- In press: Journal Star. Bones on capital steps bring awareness to genocide. April 19, 2013.
- In publication: Clay Times: Ceramic art trends, tools, and techniques. Volume 18. Summer/ Autumn 2012. Pg 35
- “500 Raku: Bold Explorations of a Dynamic Ceramics Technique,” Lark Crafts, 2011
- “Artist-In-Residency Stearns Molds Life into Art,” Union-Republican, December 4, 2008
- “Albia Artist uses Pottery Work to Express Himself,” Ottumwa Courier, November 21, 2008
- “Math Turns Clay into Art, “The North Platte Telegraph, June 16, 2007
- “FHSU Students to Show Work at Exhibit,” The Garden City Telegraph, March 2007
- “Artist in Residency at ACHS,” Monroe County News, November 2006
- “Artist in Residency’ fires up’ students,” Monroe County News, November 2006
- “A Potter’s Life: Eric,” Spring Doane Magazine 2006