Sale of Insolvent Glasgow Art Center’s Archive Would Be an ‘Irreversible Loss,’ Critics Warn
Campaigners and cultural figures are urging the Scottish government to intervene to prevent the possible sale of the archive of Glasgow’s Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA), which was listed among the assets after the organization was deemed insolvent and entered liquidation in January. The archive, including material from the CCA’s predecessor the Third Eye Centre, spans more than 50 years and contains exhibition records, photographs, posters, films, flyers, and other ephemera; critics warn dispersal would be an “irreversible loss” to Scotland’s cultural record, according to former Creative Scotland portfolio manager Amanda Catto. The CCA’s collapse followed years of financial strain despite Creative Scotland awarding more than $4.5 million in three-year funding reported by the BBC in January, plus disruptions after the 2018 Glasgow School of Art fire and disputes in late 2024 related to calls for a boycott of Israel. Creative Scotland, which owns the building, said it is working with Glasgow Life and the Ballast Trust to preserve public access in Glasgow, while MB Valuations is seeking advice and expressions of interest for the archive rather than bundling it into a general auction.
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This story was covered in Restitution Returns, Museums Face the Axe