Old in Art School

A Memoir of Starting Over

Book • 2019

Author

Nell Irvin Painter

Following her retirement from Princeton University, Nell Irvin Painter surprised everyone by returning to school in her sixties to earn a BFA and MFA in painting.

In 'Old in Art School', she recounts her journey from Newark to the Rhode Island School of Design, finding meaning in the artists she loves and struggling with the balance between artistic pursuit and the demands of life.

The book delves into how women and artists are judged by their age, looks, and race, and how these factors influence our conceptions of beauty, value, and difference.

Mentioned by

Ryan Holiday

Connor Towne O’Neill

Mentioned in 8 episodes

Mentioned by

Ryan Holiday

as an example of someone who pursued their passion later in life.

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Mentioned by

Ryan Holiday

as a similar example of a person starting over in a new field, as she went back to art school after being a historian.

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Mentioned when discussing the experience of starting over in one's 60s to pursue a bachelor's degree and an MFA in painting.

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Mentioned by

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as an example of a person who continued learning and pursuing new passions later in life.

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Mentioned by Nell Painter as a memoir about starting over and earning a bachelor's and MFA in painting in her 60s.

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Mentioned by Nell Painter as a book about her experience going back to art school after retiring as a historian.

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Mentioned by Nell Painter, a historian and former professor at Princeton, as a memoir about starting over and earning a bachelor's and MFA in painting in her 60s.