Mack Lectures provide a platform for changemakers at the forefront of their fields to share new ideas and alternative ways of working. This spring, leading environmentalist and founder of ClientEarth James Thornton comes to the Walker. An innovator of legal strategies to address climate change and environmental degradation, Thornton will discuss new ways to think about and tackle global environmental challenges.
Thornton’s presentation is followed by a dialogue moderated by Jothsna Harris, founder of Change Narrative LLC, and a Q&A with the audience.
A cash bar reception, cohosted by the Walker and The Great Northern, takes place from 6–7 pm in the Main Lobby.
Bio
Jothsna Harris is the founder of Change Narrative LLC. With a decade of experience building capacity for the climate justice movement, most recently as the Director of Special Projects and Partnerships at the Minneapolis-based non-profit Climate Generation. Harris has designed and implemented award-winning climate change programs, centering personal stories and compelling narratives to share with the world. She co-edited the 2020 book Eyewitness: Minnesota Voices on Climate Change and is a 2023 Obama USA Leader named among 100 change-makers working across the United States. Harris currently serves on The Great Northern Festival Board of Directors.
James Thornton is founder and president of ClientEarth, the world’s preeminent environmental law group, with 300 lawyers and others holding governments and companies accountable across the globe. Thornton was named “one of 10 people who could change the world” by New Statesman. The Financial Times gave him its Lifetime Achievement Award. He was named Green Leader of the Year three times. He is also a Zen priest, poet, author, and recently appointed professor at the Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and Environment. His most recent book, Nature, My Teacher, explores how to enter the wisdom of nature so we can save the living world. Based in Los Angeles, Thornton has built strong support from the arts community for ClientEarth and other organizations. Members of Gallery Climate Coalition have teamed with major galleries and their artists, including Cecily Brown, Rashid Johnson, and Antony Gormley, to raise funds and awareness for the activism of ClientEarth; and Brian Eno, David Gilmour, and Coldplay are among musicians who view Thornton’s work as vital for planetary survival. This innovative legal work can be sampled in Thornton’s TED talk about China, viewed by more than 1.7 million people to date.
Accessibility
This event will have ASL interpretation.
For more information about accessibility, visit our Access page.
For questions on accessibility, or to request additional accommodations, call 612-375-7564 or email access@walkerart.org.
Before Your Visit
Paid underground parking is available on-site. Enter the ramp on Vineland Place at Bryant Avenue. Biking or taking Metro Transit? Learn more.
Visiting the galleries? Enhance your experience by joining a public tour or with self-guided resources accessible for free on Bloomberg Connects.
Personal photography is permitted throughout the Walker and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, but please turn off the flash when visiting the galleries.
To help us promote future events and programs, this event may be photographed or recorded. By attending, you consent to appear in this documentation and its future use by the museum. Please let staff know upon arrival if you prefer not to be photographed.
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