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Art After Dark: West End

 

Art After DarkWine. Cheese. Art. Beer. Glass blowing. More beer. Cool jams.

This pretty much sums up the launch of Art after Dark: West End, a funky, fresh new theme for Thursday nights in Adelaide’s newest west end cultural precinct.

Supported by Samstag Museum of Art and the University of South Australia, as well as a host of collaborating venues, Art After Dark is a calendar of events guaranteed to ward off even the most stubborn of hibernating tendencies.

The launch proved to be a nice tasting of the upcoming program of events and, for those who dared to venture into the cold, they were able to avail themselves of the complimentary wine and regional fare whilst soaking up the freshly infused atmosphere of this recently established cultural hub.

Several venues offered an array of wines for tasting, including Seppeltsfield Estate at the reliably intriguing Jam Factory, and Chaffey Bros’ “minimal intervention” Barossa and Eden Valley wines, which were merrily downed at the Mercury Cinema, a cosy segue to their 2014 Cinematheque program.

The Samstag Museum of Art was a sophisticated backdrop for further tastings, music and general shenanigans, offering a cultivated setting for Adelaide’s artsy and well-heeled folk to peruse the Samstag’s current exhibitions, or to mingle to the hip sounds of Silk Road Express.

For the more serious art goer the Australian Experimental Art Foundation gallery launched two new exhibitions from emerging Adelaide artists, Synonyms for Savages by Madison Bycroft and OdradekAEAF Performing Identity by Jenna Pippett. These dual exhibitions offer an insight into local art practice by artists  working in experimental forms and processes, across themes of self exploration and performance; very much worth supporting with a visit to this innovative gallery space.

Coupled with the construction undertaken by the University of South Australia, the precinct has come a long way since its inception as a west end cultural hub, with the project transforming a once much-maligned area of Hindley St to a newly paved, pristine, and popular cultural landscape.

The Art After Dark calendar is the perfect way to showcase the west end galleries and venues, which were potentially at risk of being overlooked or falling into obscurity to the general public with the exception of ubiquitous fringe and festival events.

Whilst a pint at the World’s End hotel is always an erstwhile throwback to halcyon Uni days, (the beer’s still cheap!), the precinct offers so much more and, whether you are a gallery goer or just looking for something to spice up your wintry Thursday nights, keep an eye on the upcoming Art After Dark program. After all, there’s wine.

Art After Dark is an ongoing initiative by the Samstag Museum of Art and University of South Australia at various venues in the West End of Adelaide. Admission is free unless otherwise noted on their program of events.

Jordana Lennox
Twitter: @simulacra_vine

 

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