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 December 2025 cover, with a photo of Michael Park ’98.
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December 2025

Judge Michael Park ’98; shifts in DEI initiatives; a night at the new art museum.