By CLAYTON PARK and LEAH WEATHERSBY

When art lovers and collectors think of going to galleries in Seattle, Pioneer Square inevitably comes to mind. But anyone who's been down to Pioneer Square knows that parking can be tough, and at peak times such as the district's monthly art walk night, galleries can be crowded. Not exactly conducive to a relaxing shopping experience where patrons might want to drop hundreds or thousands of dollars on an original piece of artwork.

As some businesses have already learned, locating in neighborhoods, near their competitors can be beneficial. Just look at Greenwood's antique boom. The plethora of antique shops in the area draws customers. After all, if you can't find what you want at one store, there are many more within easy walking distance. And the parking? Still much better than downtown. North Seattle gallery owners have the same idea.

Between Cultures, a tribal, folk and ethnic art gallery in Maple Leaf, moved in across the street from Snow Goose Associates last November. Snow Goose specializes in Northwest, Canadian and Alaskan art, and has been in that location for eight years. The two galleries complement each other well.

While Snow Goose concentrates on art from the West Coast of North America, Between Cultures offers artifacts from Africa, Indonesia, Mexico, Thailand - well, almost everywhere else.

Between Cultures features artifacts ranging from masks, to baby carriers to currency from all over the world. Some of it is new, and some is dates to pre-Columbus times.

"There's a couple thousand years worth of stuff here," said Robert Elam, who owns Between Cultures with his wife, Joy Carter.

It only takes a short conversation with Elam to be convinced that he and Carter have found the right business to combine their talents and interests. Elam retired from a teaching career three years ago. He taught cultural anthropology and Latin American Studies at several colleges during his career including the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the University of New Mexico. Carter, who brought a business background to Between Cultures, was a salon owner.

Elam and Carter have traveled to virtually all of the countries represented in their shop, and that background knowledge undoubtedly comes in handy. In fact, Elam himself has collected tribal and folk art for over four decades, some of which is on sale at Between Cultures.

"At first it was hard to let go," Elam said. "But for the most part, people who purchase from us love the material so we're certain it has good homes."

Elam explained that cultural anthropology is the study of cultures, belief systems and religion. His research projects took him to various countries where he would live with families in villages and remote locales to observe and chronicle their everyday life.

In Central America, for example, he studied the transformation of beliefs of people from small villages who get drafted into the military, particularly in nations that are ruled by dictatorships. "Watching the behavior of the military in many of those countries is a sobering experience," he said.

After completing research projects in Central America and Europe, Elam's range of interests expanded to include other parts of the world.

He notes that many of the artifacts available at Between Cultures are made by artisans who are struggling to carrying on their traditions and who depend on being able to sell their products in order to survive.

One such example, said Elam, are the Tuareg, a Saharan people who were traditionally nomadic, but in recent times have been forced to live in villages. One of the ways they have managed to retain some of their cultural heritage has been through the creation of crafts, such as the hand-decorated, goatskin-covered wooden boxes that can be found at Between Cultures.

Elam and Carter also carry rugs made by Bedouin artisans in Israel who use wool from sheep they raise themselves as well as traditionally-made dyes.

"This is an effort to sustain a part of their culture while trying to fit in with the changing world," said Elam, who adds that "this is something that's happening all over the world."

Elam sums up the philosophy behind Between Cultures with the following written statement: "It is our intent not only to offer objects from cultures around the world, but to do our best to help our clients place those objects in their respective cultural settings. Art, particularly art from non-Western cultures, is best appreciated when we understand something of the contexts in which the art is produced.

"Part of the excitement of this gallery thus far has come from meeting many people from this area that have also been collecting a wide variety of cultural material and have shared their experiences and knowledge about their collections with us."

Elam adds that his wife Joy's interest in cultural art "is just as fervent and substantive as mine." The couple had been wanting to open a gallery ever since moving to Seattle a few years ago to be close to Elam's son, Matt, and Matt's wife, Dianna, who live in Ballard. Elam added that he and Joy actually like the Pacific Northwest's rainy climate.

When Susan Helmke and Lisa Steinbrueck, owners of Snow Goose Associates (8806 Roosevelt Way NE), saw that a shop space across the street from their gallery had become vacant, they notified Elam and Carter, who promptly leased the space to open Between Cultures.

Elam says he would love to see more galleries move into the Maple Leaf neighborhood.

"We're found that having two galleries in the same area is excellent," Elam said. "We only wish others would join us."

Between Cultures is located at 8809 Roosevelt Way NE. (