From February 9 to May 6, 2025, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles hosted an exhibition in honor of the “Year of Alice” titled Alice Coltrane: Monument Eternal. Curated by Erin Christovale, the show reflects on the life, career, and spirituality of Alice through archival ephemera, contemporary art, and multimedia installations. A total of 19 Black artists contributed pieces for this exhibition that directly resonated with Alice’s music or her overall legacy in some way. The exhibition focused on three relevant themes that best represented the legacy of Alice Coltrane: sonic innovation, spiritual transcendency, and architectural intimacy.
The listening station was a prominent feature of the exhibit, where visitors could listen to all of Alice Coltrane’s studio albums. With Coltrane’s sonic innovation fresh in their minds, guests could then take in the surrounding exhibits and see how music and spirituality overlapped to create her legacy that she is known for today.
The exhibition also featured an interactive installation using video technology, carpet, cushions, and semi-transparent curtains to mimic a meditation space. Visitors could enter through the curtains and sit on the cushions as they participated in the experience. The space is a direct acknowledgement to the important influence that meditation had on Alice’s life.
One of the most exciting elements of the exhibition was its orange stage. The stage was designed by artist GeoVanna Gonzalez and was intended to capture the essence of the Sai Anantam Ashram. Every Sunday throughout the duration of the exhibition, the museum hosted the “Turiya Rising” concert series curated by Ross Chait. Featured musicians included Brandee Younger, Jeff Parker, Gerry Gibbs, and Mary Lattimore.
Art, music, and spirituality united throughout the duration of this show and helped visitors connect with Alice on a deeper level. The visitors to the exhibition and the artists who participated related their own experiences to Alice’s legacy, allowing everyone to have their own unique takeaways from the show.
