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Slim Aarons Getty Images
Poolside Gossip
Slim Aarons (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
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Rue Aubriot' Paris
Helmut Newton
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Dasha & Mari
French Kiss
Dasha and Mari
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Jack Nicholson
Lorenzo Agius
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Desire
Dasha and Mari
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Dasha & Mari
Poetry
Dasha and Mari
Nashville’s newest photography gallery, Prima Signa, has a grand opening slated for January 20, 2022, and specializes in rare and limited-edition prints of world renowned names like Helmut Newton, Slim Aarons, and Mario Kroes.
Co-owners and life partners Laura and McKinley Thomason as well as Nicole Church are excited to be bringing classic and rare prints to the up-and-coming Houston Station area, as well as introducing photographers Dasha and Mari, Ukrainian twin sisters that specialize in high-end glamour and fashion photography from around the world.
“This began in part as a creative outlet for us. With everything that’s happened the last two years with the pandemic, and our primary business being continually busy, my husband and I have been feeling some burn out. While so many industries were forced to close their doors, we’ve been open the entire time, running overtime most weeks to just try and keep up with demand,” says Laura, who helps run operations at the couples family business.
“One day, we looked at each other and were like, we need something else in our lives that brings us joy and gives us a creative outlet! It was around this time that McKinley was forging some amazing relationships with other gallery owners and photographers. When we came across Dasha and Mari’s work, we just fell in love with so many of their pieces. When we reached out to them, they happened to be looking for a US gallery to represent them, and it all felt very meant to be.”
While Laura and McKinley specialize on the business side of things, partner Nicole Church brings expertise to the art side. An art graduate and teacher, she manages much of the galleries pieces and assists in curation.
"As a native of Nashville, it is wonderful to see how the art scene has thrived over the years," says Nicole. "To be a part of that growth is an incredible and surreal feeling. This is the perfect time for a creative and artistic boom that will set Nashville on a national and international stage."
Prima Signa Gallery is officially open and will have a grand opening on January 20. For more information, follow Prima Signa on Instagram and on their website.