Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over

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By Nell Painter

Published June 26, 2018

Author Nell Painter spent 30 years as an eminent historian, including 17 years at Princeton. Then she changed direction – retired, went to art school, got an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, started working as a painter, and wrote Old in Art School (Counterpoint) about navigating the change from professor back to student and how art has transformed her thoughts.

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PAW's July/August 2025 issue cover, featuring a photo of people dressed in orange and black, marching in the P-rade, and the headline: Reunions, Back in Orange & Black.
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On the cover: Wilton Virgo ’00 and his classmates celebrate during the P-rade.