Adelaide's arts scene heats up this winter with new shows, expanded gallery hours

Adelaide's winter arts calendar is stacking up. The State Library on North Terrace has extended its hours for a new exhibition of rare colonial maps, while the Adelaide Festival Centre has just announced a two-week run of Sydney Theatre Company's revival of The Harp in the South starting July 28.

The push comes as the city's cultural institutions try to capitalise on the post-winter-solstice lull. Last week, the Art Gallery of South Australia reported a 12 per cent jump in weekday attendance after launching its 'Late at the Gallery' program, free entry from 5pm to 9pm every Thursday through August. The gallery's foyer café has been serving a $22 dinner-and-drinks special to lure office workers.

Venues betting on staying power

Smaller independent spaces are getting in on the action too. The intimate Space Theatre at the Festival Centre sold out its first two weekends of a new monologue series, Voices from the Edge, which features four Adelaide writers performing original works. At the same time, the Adelaide Film Festival's winter shorts program, Frozen Frames, is screening every Saturday at 3pm at the Mercury Cinema in the city's west end. Tickets run $18 for adults, $14 for concession.

Over in the East End, the Nexus Arts Centre on North Terrace has launched a visual arts residency for South Australian artists aged under 30. The first cohort of five artists will display their works in a group show opening August 8. Nexus director Melissa Smith told The Daily Adelaide attendance has doubled since the residency was announced in late June.

What to book now

If you're planning a night out this month, grab tickets early. The Harp in the South has already shifted more than 60 per cent of its available seats, according to festival centre box office data. Meanwhile, the free Thursday-night gallery sessions have been drawing crowds of up to 450 people, nearly double the capacity of the paid Friday-night tours.

For those looking for something off the beaten track, the Frozen Frames program includes two Adelaide-made documentaries alongside international shorts. The full program is available on the Mercury Cinema website. And if you want to pair art with a drink, the Art Gallery's Thursday-night bar remains open until 8.30pm. The wine list is mostly South Australian, with a glass of Clare Valley riesling going for $13.