MSSU renames Spiva Art Gallery to Cragin Art Gallery
While the name is changing, the legacy is only getting richer.
Missouri Southern State University held a ceremony on Friday to rename the Spiva Art Gallery as the Cragin Art Gallery.
“Our family have long been supporters of the university,” Gay Cragin Currence said. “When they were proposing to change it, we thought it was pretty logical to change it from my mother’s name to what my father’s last name was—from Spiva to Cragin.
“Our grandparents and our parents both were just very generous people who wanted to support the community and support the university. They taught us long ago, if you’re able, you should give back to the community, so that’s what we’re trying to do.”
The Cragin family’s ties to MSSU traces back to its founding years, thanks to the pivotal leadership of George A. Spiva, a key figure in the institution’s early development.
Spiva spearheaded the initial fundraising campaign that enabled the acquisition of the Mission Hills property, which became the university’s current location, through a substantial personal donation. In recognition of his invaluable contributions, MSSU named both the Spiva Library and the Spiva Art Center in his honor.
Joy Spiva Cragin followed in her father’s footsteps, continuing the family’s long-standing support of Missouri Southern by serving as a devoted member of the Missouri Southern Foundation Board.
Now, her children — John Michael Cragin, Christy Cragin, Evan Scott Cragin, and Gay Cragin Currence — are furthering this legacy with a generous endowment that will ensure the gallery remains a venue for high-quality art exhibitions benefiting both students and the local community.
Renaming the gallery to Cragin Art Gallery also helps differentiate it from the Spiva Center for the Arts located in downtown Joplin, which continues to play a crucial role in the city’s vibrant arts community.
“Because the George A. Spiva Center for Arts is in the Cornell Complex, some who are visiting town might come here instead of there or go there instead,” Cragin Currence said. “So, it will just alleviate some of the confusion.”