Past the Door: A Podcast on Community, Accessibility, and Engagement in Graduate School

CAA Conversations

What does it look like to actually exist within graduate school? Most grad and post-doc students spend their degrees carefully balancing their schooling alongside holding full-time jobs, building professional connections, supporting themselves financially and physically, and engaging in their creativity outside of school. This podcast explores the question: what does the world of academia look like while situated within these experiences, and how do graduate programs support their students with community and access to resources? Grace Oller and Hannah Warren are currently receiving their master’s degrees in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at New York University. Grace attends the Institute of Fine Arts and is seeking a degree in Art History and Archeology, while Hannah is receiving her MA from the XE: Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement program. In this conversation, Grace and Hannah discuss what brought them to NYU, how they have navigated their first year, and what their hope is for the future of their programs, specifically addressing how community has been fostered in these spaces. This episode hopes to extend empathy to students facing the same battles, while providing a moment of contemplation for those who may exist outside of this specific realm of academia. As creatives and academics, Grace and Hannah explore the integration of art, education, and building connections with others. Grace Oller is a Graduate Student at New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts (IFA) studying Modern and Contemporary Art History and Curatorial Practice. Born and raised in rural Ohio, she attended the Columbus College of Art and Design and received a BFA in Fine Arts with minors in Creative Writing and Art History. She has held positions as an Exhibition Assistant at the Columbus Museum of Art, co-editor in chief of the online publication, IFAcontemporary, and a contributing writer for a forthcoming book published by NYU’s Grey Art Gallery celebrating the Anonymous Was a Woman award. Her work challenges ideas surrounding accessibility and labor in the art world, and you can find her around New York enjoying the delicious sounds of live jazz. Hannah J. Warren (she/her) grew up in Upstate NY but currently resides in Brooklyn, NY, obtaining a Master's degree in Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement from NYU. Hannah received her BA in English with an emphasis in writing, and a minor in Women and Gender Studies from Hartwick College in 2020. Recently Hannah has had poetry published in The Bookend Review, and has helped edit the poetry in her programs magazine Caustic Frolic. Beyond her joy for writing, Hannah enjoys spending her time traveling, reading, buying books, and trying to keep her plants alive. [e-mail]. *This podcast, Past The Door, was recorded by Grace Oller and Hannah Warren, and edited by Hannah Warren.