The team at Cargo travel the world to find artisans who create in the timeless manner of their culture. From antique altarpieces to Japanese kokeshi, hand-loomed garments to tribal jewelry, and Indian architectural pieces to Balinese offering baskets, each item in their ever-changing inventory tells a story and shows the maker’s hand.
Looking for a way to foster makers and artists and sustain endangered traditions, ceramic artist and folk-art collector Patty Merrill founded Cargo in 1996. Bridgid Blackburn, an interior designer, joined as a partner in 2008. Currently located in a Central Eastside historic warehouse with old-growth timber beams and soaring ceilings. Last year, Cargo evolved once again to become the Cargo Emporium, welcoming in-store shops from vendors sharing their ethics, including Altar, Appetite Shop, Hello! Good Morning!, Loaded Hips Press, Rx Letterpress, and The Venderia among others.
Cargo is a journey of spirit, time, and place.