Clipper Ship Gallery Closing in La Grange After 30+ Years

The Clipper Ship Gallery in La Grange, most notable for its collection of Charles Vickery water scenes, is closings its doors, owner Bert Jacobs announced Thursday. 

He made the announcement at a La Grange Business Association meeting, alongside at least 40 more area businesspeople. 

"I wasn't just going to send an email. That's not my style," he said. "I also wanted to encourage some of the new businesses to get involved, because it really makes a difference." 

Involved, personable, grateful, that's his style. I stopped in the gallery after the meeting to talk with Jacobs, and while we spent some time on the history of the gallery we talked about cookies, children's names, our families, living in Western Springs, going to Graue Mill and more.

Jacobs' father, also Bert, opened the gallery in 1980 after working at a retirement home. They lived on La Grange Road, and Jacobs remembers being in the first class at Lyons Township when South Campus opened in 1957. He moved away but returned with his family in 1987 to work at the gallery with his father. 

"It's something he really enjoyed," Jacobs said. "We'd always gotten along very well. To literally share it with my dad was special." 

His father was a good friend of Vickery, who ran a studio next door.

"For decades his work has been revered by so many people. He's famous for making water come to life," Jacobs said. "I've always appreciated Vickery's work a great deal, and his dedication to being the best at what he did." 

They partnered to help create prints of Vickery's work, which worked almost as an insurance policy but has also helped share the art with a wider range of people. 

The water scenes stir up emotions, but perhaps no painting succeeds at that better than one without water, Vickery's "Freedom Forever." After 9/11, many prints were ordered and shipped to New York firefighters. 

Jacobs' dad died in 1993, and Vickery in 1998, but Jacobs has carried on the legacy. Unfortunately, he recognizes, art can be a luxury expense.

"Businesses like ours that depend on discretionary spending have found it very difficult," he said.

The gallery could close as soon as May 1, but a date hasn't been finalized. It will maintain its online presence, and Jacobs is looking at areas to relocate—possibly DuPage County, possibly Indiana. He said he'll continue living at his home in Western Springs, which is just a few blocks from where his son's family lives, at least for now. 

He said he'll miss meeting new people at the shop and participating in community events such as the La Grange Holiday Walk. And residents will surely miss the blue whale cookies he put out each year for the event. 

"The first year we did it, my son and his wife made 200 cookies, but after that we worked with local bakeries to do it," he said. "It became such a tradition we couldn't stop." 

As he prepares to close, Jacobs is mostly proud of the time he's spent here and grateful for the support of the people here.

"We've always loved the community," he said. "The camaraderie with residents we've met over the years, and also the businesses. There aren't a lot of communities that all get together like here." 

The Clipper Ship Gallery is located at 10 W. Harris Ave. in La Grange.