Since 1896, the Walker Lecture Series has brought stimulating speakers and fun performers to Concord. The tradition continues with this spring’s offerings, ranging from a walk on the Appalachian Trail to a night with Laurel and Hardy from the silent era. Musical performers include the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, the NH Ukeladies, and Mixtape.
In the Walker tradition, all performances are free with no tickets or reservations required. Programs start at 7:30 p.m. at the City Auditorium on Prince Street in Concord.
A Walk for Sunshine: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail with Jeff Alt (March 12)
Jeff Alt takes you along every step of his amazing 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail adventure filled with humor and inspiration, and he includes practical advice to plan your own big adventure. Alt introduces you to bears, bugs, blisters, skunk bedmates, and hilarious food cravings. Jeff dedicated his journey to his brother, who has cerebral palsy, inspiring an annual fundraiser which has raised over $500,000.
As you walk along with Jeff, you experience perseverance, surviving with only the bare essentials, the success of goal setting, and overcoming obstacles. His story sheds light on the pursuit of a simpler life.
Jane Oneail: Revolutionary Design: Modern Architecture in New England, and Georgia O’Keeffe: Beyond the Blossoms (March 19)
Revolutionary Design: Modern Architecture in New England: New England is known for its history and its traditions, but it is also home to daring and inventive modern designs from some of the world’s leading architects. How do giants in the field like Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Gropius, Louis Kahn, Philip Johnson, and Maya Lin combine the expected and the familiar with the innovative and experimental?
Georgia O’Keeffe: Beyond the Blossoms: Flower painting has long been the realm of women artists, so it is not surprising that Georgia O’Keeffe is best known for her revolutionary floral still lifes. Of course, in her eight-decade-long career, O’Keeffe explored a variety of subjects, including the skyscrapers of NYC and the deserts of New Mexico. This program will shine a light on other subjects and examine ways O’Keeffe employed to become known as the “Mother of American Modernism.”
New England Traditions: Maple Mania with Willa Caroka and Discovering New England Stone Walls with Kevin Gardner (March 26)
Maple Mania: From Sap to Syrup & the Magic in Between: From learning to identify a sugar maple to tapping a tree, Willa Caroka will take you from sap to syrup.
Discovering New England Stone Walls: Why are we fascinated with stone walls? Kevin Gardner, author of The Granite Kiss, explains how and why New England came to acquire its thousands of miles of stone walls, the ways that they and other dry-stone structures were built, how their styles emerged and changed over time, and their significance.
Kevin builds a stone wall on a tabletop, using tiny stones from a five-gallon bucket.
Visit walkerlecture.org for more details and events.
