We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Kirk Jellum is a 1992 graduate of Chinook High School, Aerospace Engineer and an amazing large scale engineering car artist. Not many can say they have worked on something located in deep space as well as another project located in the heart of Las Vegas on the world famous Freemont Street.
Jellum graduated from Montana State University in 1997. From there he designed tooling for booster rockets and commercial aircraft before moving on to the Aerospace Industry, where he played a role in the design of the James Webb Telescope that replaced the famed Hubble back in 2018. Pictures being sent back now from the James Web have been amazing scientist and researchers every day.
"I was on the actual design team for the primary structure which is the backbone of the James Webb and was involved with the tooling and testing of the structure," said Jellum. "I had to design and build tools that could function at -450 Fahrenheit, and the structure itself had to function at that negative temperature as well." Building the tools and the structure is one thing, but how does one know if it will work? "The structure was actually sent to a NASA facility and tested at that temperature. We tested it multiple times for mechanical strength, and it was tested for thermal as well. If you make something to go into space, it has to be mechanically tested to survive launch and the impact that is involved with that. Then when it gets to space it has to function in that cool down mode. The testing of all aspects involved at all levels is mind blowing it's safe to say that is the most complicated machine ever built by man and sent into space. The size of the facilities to test everything is hard to comprehend and I was actually there to see it."
After 17 years in the Aerospace industry, Jellum made a significant move in his career path that involved his 'other job' and his desire to make Art his way. For the past 20 years, Jellum has also been a landlord, a Real Estate Investor and is what he is currently focused on. That being said, his time building his 'Art' was something he will always treasure. At one point he was fully invested in three professional careers, real estate, aerospace, and his art.
Jellum's art includes two massive pieces, the 'Scorpion' and the Praying Mantis. Every single aspect of the Scorpion and the Mantis is to scale, 150:1 of the actual bug. "I caught the Mantis, the actual live insect back when I was Aerospace Engineering. I analyzed every part and replicated it, so it is a true steel replica of an actual Praying Mantis, same thing with the Scorpion."
The Mantis was completed in 2010 and the Scorpion in 2012. "The Mantis, I built it in about three months. Twelve hour days, seven days a week. Spent a total of 2,500 man hours on the project," said Jellum. Large scale steel art is becoming more recognizable and most artist focus on one aspect or another. "My art is different than other people with the intent of making sure my art looks good in both night and day settings. The complexity of the Mantis was putting it on a dump truck and then making it look good." The Mantis does way more than just look good; it is a fully functional vehicle as well. "It's actually street legal. I've driven it to multiple events. I created a grass facade around the mantis to hide the truck when it's on display.
Jellum sold the Mantis to Tony Hsieh in 2012. "He was the CEO of Zappos in 2012, and he included it as the entrance piece to his downtown development in Vegas. He owned a large portion of the property/real estate in downtown Vegas on Freemont Street and remains permanently on display."
The Scorpion team included Jellum and another artist at the start of the project and added others as time went on until the team numbered five," said Jellum. "In the beginning we were working normal hours, but by the end it was 17 hour days, it was insanity. I wouldn't recommend it!" The Scorpion later sold to private collector and is not on public display. "Scorpion was built on a Boom truck that was used to set telephone poles. The hydraulics were a beast on that thing. There are 20 actuating points. The tail moves; the pincher's work; the legs move; the whole thing can lift a foot and a half off the ground."
Jellum considers himself to be 'retired' from engineering and is focused on being a landlord and real estate investor. Looking back, he reflects, "It's interesting now, everywhere I go people just think I'm building something. Friends ask me all the time 'what are you building now?' It's fun and it was a lot of work, and it was super rewarding in the end. It is really cool to see the impact it has on people's lives. People's reactions are incredible, and it inspires him. The scorpion's tail is 40' high, it's huge." He doesn't like to get into the specifics talking with people, "They always ask the same type of questions, you know 'how much did it costs, how much does it weigh', so I like to walk around, mingle around the people and just listen to what people say. One time I overheard this Harley Biker guy comment, 'I don't know what it is, but I like it'. That was really cool; you get a good idea of what people really think about it."
What's in store for the future? "I'm warming up to the idea of doing another project, we'll see. I know it's going to have huge flames and have lots of movement. I'm not sure what that is yet," concluded Jellum.
