The Nave (the old Church of Love)
A 60-year-old derelict Baptist-then-Korean church that artists activated as the 'Church of Love' before it became The Nave, an arts commons. Its weirdest legacy is on the building itself: a giant 3-D steel shadowbox mural designed by Drew Michael and cut by Garrett Perkins that glows like a lantern in winter, plus a polka-dot asphalt 'Twister mat' ground mural by Kerby McGhee out front. Old Sunday-school rooms are now cheap artist studios.
The move: Stroll the exterior to find the steel shadowbox mural and the Twister-mat asphalt out front, then catch an opening, workshop, or Spenard Second Saturday art-walk event inside the converted nave and peek into the warren of artist studios.
- 📍 Spenard
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoor or outdoor
Where: 3502 Spenard Road, Anchorage, AK 99503
Hours: Event- and exhibition-driven; check thenavespenard.com or Spenard Second Saturday for openings. Exterior murals viewable anytime.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Verified 2026-06-06.