ver turned up late to a gallery, only to find yourself disgruntled at being ushered out by a suited guard at closing time? Thanks to the ACCA Art Bar at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, once a month you will have the chance to linger at the gallery for a couple of hours longer.

The ACCA Art Bar kicks off tonight (Friday September 21), and visitors can treat themselves to an evening stroll around the two current exhibitions – a stunning survey of photographs by Pat Brassington dubbed À Rebours and the brilliant Sculptural Matter, a body of work exploring the relationship between objects and space, which features works by renowned artist from around the world.

While ACCA has never been a traditional gallery as such – past exhibitions have invited visitors to lay on the ground and even view exhibitions in the nude – but the Art Bar aims to add another dimension to your gallery experience, throwing some quality brews, cocktails and music into the mix.

ACCA executive director Kay Campbell explains that the Art Bar presents gallery visitors with a last chance opportunity to see the exhibitions on show and have a fun night out while they’re at it. “It’s all about changing the perception of a gallery being a stark, cold space and give people an opportunity to enjoy art in a different way,” she says.

As Campbell adds, the musical line-up will be matched to the “look and feel” of the artworks to provide a complimentary soundtrack.

Local talents Superstar (Esther Edquist and Kieran Hegarty) will be playing their laidback tunes on the Arts Bar's big debut and Triple R's Breaking And Entering DJ Lauren Taylor will be in charge of aural ambience for the night with a mix of Icelandic reggae, alt-country and more.

Gallery viewings will be open until 8pm, while the party continues until 10.30pm. The Art Bar will be open on the last Friday of every ACCA exhibition season. Entry is free.

ACCA Art Bar begins tonight, Friday September 21, from 6pm to 10.30pm (Happy Hour from 6pm to 7pm).

accaonline.org.au