Located in a handsome vintage bungalow at the corner of Summit and Mercer on Capitol Hill, Cairo is a gallery and boutique with a lifeforce worthy of the triumphant city it's named for.

Its bright and breezy interior is wholly defined by the art that hangs upon its walls; the locally and internationally created art, jewelry and fashions that it sells; and the artists who call it a second home.

Two of those artists, Justine Ashbee and Joel Leshefka, own Cairo and keep its heart beating and its very cool vintage hi-fi stacked with LPs. They were kind enough to take a few minutes from hanging pictures and changing records to answer a few questions about how a city makes a gallery and how a gallery can make a city.

Can you describe Cairo's mission? What are you up to up there?

In addition to the more established Pioneer Square galleries, Seattle has a lot of great niche galleries tucked away on back streets. We love the gems in the rough, and felt that we too had something to offer. We wanted to join forces to generate an environment that could offer a wide range of creative exposure -- regional, international and local artists that were doing all different kinds of works. We are both interested in creative persons "making it" in the world, artists surviving by doing what they love to do every day, and being able to do and share just that, while also getting paid.

We are inspired by artists and designers who have/are figuring out a way to survive and grow, carving out their own unique paths in career and life, and overcoming the established systems of exposure and commerce. We also share a passion in finding and supporting young artists, and are striving to create a space that would support and provide a venue for their explorations and passions.

Why the name 'Cairo'? I mean, aside from the fact that it's the cradle of civilization?

As a city, Cairo is a destination of mystery. For us, Cairo evoked a kind of mysterious and sexy quality. In the process of creating what is still organically unfolding/coming into form, we were excited by the idea of the name being a strange name for an art space, odd and unusual, given the context.

This was directly in balance with our thoughts on the space while creating it, though not revolutionary by any stretch, our model of a curated art and retail space is fairly unconventional, and therefore has felt elusive even to us at times. Magic in the unknown, that sort of thing.

And having it be the cradle of civilization doesn't hurt, either.

How long did it take you to find that wonderful space on Summit and Mercer? Did the space have a hand in defining the gallery's personality and mission?

The owners of NoSpace Gallery, Ian Burnside and Gabriel Stromberg, had been speaking with Joel for some time about moving in to open the space, to work in conjunction with their efforts in the arts. The architecture within the space was pre-existing, built by previous inhabitants. We worked with the structure as much as we could, cleaned up and renovated a lot, and accentuated what we thought were charming aspects of the space.

What's upcoming at Cairo? What can we expect?

We have a Portraits show coming up in July. It is a group show, artists from the Bay Area and New Mexico. The opening is July 19, and NoSpace will also have an opening night with a great installation and work of a local artist. We will have ongoing shows and new designers of jewelry and apparel in the boutique.

Lastly: Do you have any Capitol Hill tips you can share? Favorite lunch spots, other favorite neighborhood hangouts?

Sun Liquor is a great spot for a good cocktail. The bartenders are very friendly and personable, which is the general feel of this part of Capitol Hill. Joe Bar is an excellent choice for good coffee and crepes, and it has a nice rotating arts venue curated by local artist Chris Crites.

We've been really into the Mirch Masala Indian Restaurant up on Broadway and Olive. Delicious Indian food! Of course, No Space next door is an amazing gallery that has consistently shown great work for the past five years. Wall of Sound for obscure and interesting records and more. The Anne Bonny is a great spot for vintage goods, and it also shows good art. And, and, and ... let's not forget the Conservatory for surviving those cold, grey days!

We could go on and on. Really.

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