Old In Art School

A New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice
Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award

A Princeton professor-turned-artist recounts her late-in-life career change in this “feisty and delightfully irreverent memoir” about art and coming-of-age in your 60s (Boston Globe).

“A glorious achievement . . . a cup of courage for everyone who wants to change their lives.” —Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage

Following her retirement from Princeton University, celebrated historian Dr. Nell Irvin Painter surprised everyone in her life by returning to school—in her sixties—to earn a BFA and MFA in painting. In Old in Art School, she travels from her beloved Newark to the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design; finds meaning in the artists she loves, even as she comes to understand how they may be undervalued; and struggles with the unstable balance between the pursuit of art and the inevitable, sometimes painful demands of a life fully lived.

How are women and artists seen and judged by their age, looks, and race? What does it mean when someone says, “You will never be an artist”? Who defines what an artist is and all that goes with such an identity, and how are these ideas tied to our shared conceptions of beauty, value, and difference?

Bringing to bear incisive insights from two careers, Painter weaves a frank, funny, and often surprising tale of her move from academia to art in this “glorious achievement—bighearted and critical, insightful and entertaining. This book is a cup of courage for everyone who wants to change their lives” (Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage).

“Praise for Old in Art School One of O: The Oprah Magazine ''s Top Books of Summer One of Time''s Best Memoirs of 2018 So Far New & Noteworthy ( The New York Times Book Review ) 1 of 26 Must-Read Race and Culture Books of the Summer (Colorlines) 1 of 16 Books You Should Read This June (Literary Hub) 1 of 10 Stranger-Than-Fiction Books to Devour This Summer (Parade) 1 of 15 Books Feminists Should Read in June ( Btch ) Editors'' Spring Pick: 1 of 34 Titles to Wave a Flag About ( Library Journal ) A New York Times Book Review Editor''s Choice 1 of 11 Life-Changing New Memoirs You Need to Read This Summer (Hello Giggles) 1 of 5 New Books for the Woman Who Does It All (Ms. Career Girl) 1 of 7 New Beach Reads from Women of Color that You Won''t Be Able to Put Down (Cool Mom Picks) "In this sweet, nuanced memoir, revered historian Painter recounts her late-in-life (and post-retirement) decision to earn a BFA and MFA in painting, and how getting an up-close view to all things art changed her life." -- Entertainment Weekly , 1 of 20 New Books to Read in June "While exploring what it truly means to be an artist, this book asks honest and important questions about how our definition of identity influences our shared concept of art." -- Time , One of the Best Memoirs of 2018 So Far "Candid and cheerfully irreverent . . . Bringing new energy and insight to questions that have long preoccupied the art world. As Painter puts it: ''What counts as art? Who is an artist? Who decides?'' Painter gets more playful with these questions than she initially lets on. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Old in Art School is seeing her relax her historian''s grip on social meaning and open up to new ways of seeing . . . Old in Art School is . . . meandering, pleasingly and profoundly so, as Painter negotiates the artist she''s becoming: not identical with her historian self, but not running away from it either." -- The New York Times "A smart, funny and compelling case for going after your heart''s desires, no matter your age or what your critics say." -- Essence "Painter claims her birthright as an artist, a black woman, and a woman of a certain age at a time and in a cultural milieu that ignores all three." -- CNN "Painter, most famous for her book The History of White People , now addresses the equally ambitious question of what it takes to be an artist--and whether or not she has it . . . If this book were a novel, the artist would have been exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art by now, but Art School arrives at a messier, braver conclusion. Painter is a painter because she studied it, works hard at it and keeps doing it. Being able to paint is one kind of gift, this book suggests, but learning to paint is another, and just as precious." -- Time "Historian Nell Painter was 64 when she stepped down from her job at Princeton to attend the Rhode Island School of Design. She chronicles that experience in her memoir Old in Art School (Counterpoint, June), bringing her fierce intelligence to questions not just of age but also race and what it means to be an artist." -- Los Angeles Times "Probing and smart, often irreverent, surprisingly confessional, always lively." -- DAME "One of the must-reads of the year." -- The Philadelphia Inquirer "Her memoir . . . is many things: an appraisal of artists living and dead, a hymn to her home state of New Jersey, a meditation on her parents'' deaths, a reflection on the travails of leading a scholarly association. It''s also a sharp critique of the teaching methods and social environment in M.F.A. programs." -- The Chronicle of Higher Education "Painter chronicles her experience of returning to art school as an older African American woman with honest and elegant prose. Her narrative weaves expertly among her art school experience, family upbringing, the loss of her mother, caring for her father at a distance, and art itself . . . Painter''s memoir presents her as an accessible artist, warm and inviting and keen to share her hard-won insights into her craft." -- Library Journal (starred review) "This is a courageous, intellectually stimulating, and wholly entertaining story of one woman reconciling two worlds and being open to the possibilities and changes life offers." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Painter is a personality par excellence; forthright, erudite, and perfectly profane, her voice enthralls . . . Filled with immense insight and presence, Painter''s memoir confronts a variety of issues and what it means to shoulder those burdens in the pursuit of art. Essential reading." -- Foreword Reviews (starred review) "Bracingly candid in her vividly analytical chronicling of her challenging adventure and its emotional, intellectual, and creative demands, she astutely critiques the way art is taught and charts her quest to figure out if her passion for history was detrimental or essential to her visual explorations. With her art displayed throughout this deeply inquisitive, involving memoir of transformation enriched by art history, Painter--funny, furious, brilliant, and mesmerizing--celebrates the hard work art requires and the profound freedom it engenders." -- Booklist "As a historian with years of incisive scholarship behind her, Painter is perfectly poised to examine her experience, and the larger art ecosystem, from a more nuanced lens . . . She makes the most of her talents as a writer and offers a story filled with passion, discovery, and, ultimately, her own encouraging triumph." --Artsy "The book is less about the wounds inflicted over the journey than about the process of becoming an artist--of forging a new identity in the autumn of your life . . . It''s that spirit of embrace--of finding new ways to define your worth, and to do so without apology--that makes Painter''s story resonate." --The Glow Up "When she was 64, famed historian Nell Painter decided to enroll at the Mason School of the Arts of Rutgers University as an undergraduate student. What does an emerita professor of Princeton University gain from starting college over again? That''s the journey Painter takes us on in her salient memoir about reinvention . . . Old in Art School is really a memoir about the meaning of art, and who gets to determine what art is." -- Btch , 1 of 15 Books Feminists Should Read in June "Having just retired from teaching history at Princeton and authoring several books on race and identity, Painter is well-equipped to dissect the various forms of discrimination she faces in these programs. And she does it all with a sense of humor, honoring, above all else, creativity, and openness." --Literary Hub, 1 of 16 Books You Should Read This June "After years of writing history, Painter has become a visual artist, but she also discovers that she does not need to leave history behind. In this book, a memoir, she brings the two ''truths'' together--the personal and the collective, the artistic and the historical--and the result is a heartening coming-of-age story for the retired set." -- The Washington Post "This feisty and delightfully irreverent memoir is a coming-of-age story for the over-60 set . . . The most impressive portrait that she achieves here is her own--an unstoppable force tethered to an iron will." -- The Boston Globe "A joyous book; a bumpy but unmistakable love story . . . Informal yet passionate, witty yet heartfelt, Old in Art School feels like a painting rendered in words; a vivid picture of an experience in time." -- The Seattle Times "This is a story of a woman determined to redefine herself, a task made more difficult by the casual racism she faced in school and the increasing frailty of her parents, both approaching age 90 . . . She tells an inspiring tale of an older person pursuing a long delayed passion. And she has an entertaining writing style . . . It bears repeating: You''re never too old to tell your stories, or to find new ways of sharing them." -- Star Tribune (Minneapolis) "[Nell Painter] leaves us with a detailed record of her personal art history, a map to understanding her idiosyncratic works and a written means of insuring that her art is not forgotten." -- The Brooklyn Rail "Painter''s memoir, enhanced by her artwork as she progresses, bursts with explosions of self-knowledge as she deals with ideas of beauty, value, and identity in her ongoing journey." -- The National Book Review "The book is beautifully written, fun and funny, describing how, after a life of overcoming unfair treatment as a black woman, she is now fighting the discrimination of being OLD, black, and female . . . Old in Art School appeals not just to those who dream about becoming late-in-life artists, but anyone who grapples with how to direct their energies post-retirement. In this sense, being an ''artist'' is more about designing your life, defying the kind of giving up that retiring sometimes implies." --Hyperallergic "Making important observations about age, gender, and looks in the art world, Old in Art School tells more than just Nell''s story as she transitions from the academic world to the art world. For anyone who needs a pick-me-up this summer, this memoir will give you hope that it''s never too late to pursue your passion and accomplish your life”

A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice
A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year

“Candid and cheerfully irreverent . . . Bringing new energy and insight to questions that have long preoccupied the art world . . . One of the most enjoyable aspects of Old in Art School is seeing her relax her historian’s grip on social meaning and open up to new ways of seeing.” —The New York Times

“After years of writing history, Painter has become a visual artist, but she also discovers that she does not need to leave history behind. In this book, a memoir, she brings the two 'truths' together––the personal and the collective, the artistic and the historical––and the result is a heartening coming–of–age story for the retired set.” —The Washington Post

“Historian Nell Painter was 64 when she stepped down from her job at Princeton to attend the Rhode Island School of Design. She chronicles that experience in her memoir Old in Art School, bringing her fierce intelligence to questions not just of age but also race and what it means to be an artist.” —Los Angeles Times

“Twelve years ago, at the age of 64, Princeton history professor emerita and best–selling author Nell Painter decided to reinvent herself as an artist, an avocation she had always longed to pursue but never had the confidence or opportunity to commit to . . . She tells her story with wit, honesty and insight as she learns to see her art, and herself, all over again.” —The Wall Street Journal

“This feisty and delightfully irreverent memoir is a coming–of–age story for the over–60 set . . . The most impressive portrait that she achieves here is her own—an unstoppable force tethered to an iron will.” —The Boston Globe

“I was struck by the joyousness in its pages; this is an unexpected love story, written with a creative, passionate irreverence––like a painting rendered in words. Old in Art School is a vivid lesson in learning not to see ourselves through other’s eyes, and in following dreams.” —The Seattle Times

"I was full of admiration for Painter’s willingness to take herself out of a world in which her currency—scholarly accomplishment—commanded respect and put herself into a different one where that coin often went unrecognized altogether, all out of exultation in the art-making itself." —Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker 

“In this sweet, nuanced memoir, revered historian Painter recounts her late–in–life (and post–retirement) decision to earn a BFA and MFA in painting, and how getting an up–close view to all things art changed her life.” —Entertainment Weekly

“A smart, funny and compelling case for going after your heart's desires, no matter your age or what your critics say.” —Essence

“Painter, most famous for her book The History of White People, now addresses the equally ambitious question of what it takes to be an artist—and whether or not she has it . . . If this book were a novel, the artist would have been exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art by now, but Art School arrives at a messier, braver conclusion. Painter is a painter because she studied it, works hard at it and keeps doing it. Being able to paint is one kind of gift, this book suggests, but learning to paint is another, and just as precious.” —Time

“Old in Art School is a glorious achievement—bighearted and critical, insightful and entertaining. This book is a cup of courage for everyone who wants to change their lives. This is not a story about starting over; it’s about continuing on the journey. Nell Painter has taken the coming of age story to a new level—this is what you get when a wise person gets even wiser, when a true artist spreads her wings.” —Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage and Silver Sparrow

Nell Irvin Painter is the Edwards Professor of American History, Emerita, at Princeton University. Her acclaimed works of history include Standing at Armageddon, Sojourner Truth, and the New York Times bestseller The History of White People, which have received widespread attention for their insights into how we have historically viewed and translated ideas of gender, value, hierarchy, and race. She holds an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts. Her visual artwork has been shown at numerous galleries and in many collections, including the San Angelo Museum of Fine Art, the Brooklyn Historical Society, and Gallery Aferro. She lives in Newark, New Jersey and the Adirondacks.

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