An exhibition celebrating 50 years of the Centre for Contemporary Arts and the Third Eye Centre
Transmission Gallery, 28 King St, Glasgow
13-22 November 2026, daily, 12-5pm
Opening event: Friday 13 November 2026, 6-9pm
Admission: Free
An exhibition from artists, curators and the Save Our CCA campaign celebrating the 50-year history of the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) and The Third Eye Centre as the uncertainty over the building’s future continues. 350 Sauchiehall Street is currently on the market for sale or lease.
From Third Eye to CCA brings together archival photographs, posters,film, music and ephemera loaned by people involved in the building throughout its 50 year history. The official CCA archive is currently unavailable to access but was acquired by Glasgow Life in September.
The building has been a cornerstone of the arts in Glasgow for the past 50 years. Founded in 1975 by Tom McGrath, its roots lay deep in counterculture and New Age spirituality, hosting the likes of Allen Ginsberg and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Throughout the 1980s, however, it became increasingly integral to Glasgow’s civic and cultural life, hosting exhibitions ranging from the National Football Exhibition to shows by Derek Jarman and Ilya Kabakov. The Centre also provided early platforms for artists such as Douglas Gordon and Christine Borland, who would go on to help establish Glasgow’s reputation as an international arts powerhouse in the 1990s.
The exhibition also highlights The Third Eye Centre’ and CCA’s work beyond the gallery and stage. It was a vital early supporter of pioneering disability arts organisation Project Ability, a music and cinema venue, and it played a key role in the development of art therapy, including its support for the arts within the Barlinnie Special Unit.
