TOOTHPICK MASTERPIECE

If you find Jerry Hackett hankering around with a toothpick in his hand, don’t assume it’s heading for his mouth. He’s likely applying it to one of the structures he creates in, well, you’ve guessed, toothpicks.

Hackett has become known around Minnesota as the toothpick artist creating masterpieces of structures around the world one toothpick at a time. Within the past several months, he created a model of the Steele County Courthouse which is currently on display in the board room at the Steele County Administration Building in Owatonna.

At 85 years old, Hackett has been making one-of-kind structures for only the past eight years. He began the art in 2016 after moving from northern Minnesota to a townhouse in Shakopee. “I had to find something to do to keep me busy,” he says, pointing out his townhome association takes care of the lawn and snow removal. Moving into the city also forced him to give up gardening.

Steele County’s is only the third courthouse he has created. In July, he presented Waseca County officials with a model of their courthouse. He has also done the Washington County Courthouse.  Up next he plans to do the Dakota County Courthouse in Hastings.

Hackett said he went online to research Minnesota’s 87 counties in which he developed a list of six courthouses. He’s intrigued by old architecture, and he tries to steer away from courthouses with newer additions. Both Steele and Waseca were constructed in the late 1800s.

The toothpick artist said he builds the structures on a scale of one inch equals four feet. Hackett works off old blueprints provided by officials. He also takes his own photographs of the exterior of the buildings. With the Steele courthouse, Hackett took 100 photos and about 6,000 toothpicks to complete.

He has a studio in his home where he puts the structures together. Hackett utilizes round toothpicks and cuts off the tips with a big nail clipper. He creates a variety of sizes of toothpicks, which are then glued together. He also uses sandpaper, scissors and small power saw to make it all come together. 

The hardest part?

“Cutting the tips off and cutting them to length,” said Hackett, who grew up on a dairy farmer near Kilkenny and is a retired accountant. He added the most tedious part of the art is glueing all the toothpicks together.

For the Steele courthouse, Hackett’s greatest challenge was the roof system with so many different slopes. “It was quite the job doing the roof,” he said, noting he used drone photos to help him piece together the roof.

Steele County Administrator Renae Fry is thrilled that Hackett chose Steele County as a place to share his art. “It’s an absolutely wonderful replica of our courthouse,” Fry said. “It’s things like this that make you want to come to work.”

Fry said the county is currently making plans to build a protective case so it can be permanently installed at the courthouse. A presentation with court officials will be held at a later time, she said.

Hackett’s wife, Pat, said she doesn’t know how he does it. “It’s mind boggling how he can put it all together,” she said. And, she added, he is a man who likes to keep busy. “When he waits for the glue to dry, he puts puzzles together.”

Hackett doesn’t only work on courthouses. He has also done old schools, bridges and churches. The largest model of his work is Duluth’s Central High School, which took 30,000 toothpicks. He has also replicated the Eifel Tower in Paris and the Seattle Space Needle.

Most of the structures feature European architecture, according to Hackett. “I want them to be old. Now-a-days everything is square like a cracker box,” he said. “There are some unique old buildings in this state. I like the history connected with this.”

With bridges, Hackett often reaches out to the Minnesota Department of Transportation for blueprints and specs. And he’s made a few people at MnDOT leery about his intentions along the way. “They were afraid I was a terrorist looking where the best place to put a bomb would be,” he said with a laugh.

Asked what triggered the path into toothpick art, Hackett said, “When the kids were in high school, they would have to make a project out of toothpicks.” At the time, he helped his children with their toothpick projects, and it has kind of stuck with him ever since.

“He’s a man of many talents,” said Pat. “It keeps him going,” she added.

Hackett has found that toothpick art requires lots of patience. And, he added, his wife of 63 years and six kids have taught him how to have patience.

He said he is motivated to continuing the toothpick art because it provides him with a challenge.

Hackett isn’t looking to gain anything financially as he donates his works of art.

After finishing the Steele courthouse, Hackett now has his eye on the old Minnesota State Public School Orphanage in Owatonna. However, before he can proceed, he needs to find the blueprint drawings.   

“It feels good,” he said about his art.

His only hope is that he can keep doing it for the enjoyment of not only himself but also others for years to come.