Are there actual art colonies out there? What are they like and how does one become a member?

Here are four well-known ones in the US. You have to apply for a residency.

MacDowell in NH
Breadloaf in VT. (For writers only and less of a retreat than MacDowell.)
Millay Colony down the road from me in eastern NYC.
Art Omi down a different road also but near me.

I don’t know if this is exactly what you are talking about, but there is a place nearby where artists rent a room to use as they like. The person I know has a daily job, but spends every weekend there.

Ox-Bow in Saugatuck MI is run by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
http://www.ox-bow.org/about/history/history-of-ox-bow

Less rigorously connected but still known for the quality of the art, the number of galleries, etc. are Sedona, AZ and Santa Fe, NM.

My brother has taught glass blowing at Ox Bow that @jaytkay listed and I have visited him there every summer. It is a laid back as they come and looked like a great place to enhance your skill sets. Not cheap though.

Most of the artist-in residence programs have some financial aid.

This is the only one I know of. http://www.yaddo.org/

This is all so interesting. Thanks for the links I have checked them all and even bookmarked some.

I wonder what life would be like inside. :) Maybe I should make my own artist commune…~

After looking into a number of them, I chose VCCA as the place where I wanted to go, but my application for a fellowship was turned down. I loved the fact that they accept artists in various fields for some real cross-pollination, and I was also attracted by the possibility of a second residency at their facility in France.

There’s the Brewery in Downtown Los Angeles. It’s supposed to be pretty difficult to get in. As I understand it they rarely have openings and they have a lot of applicants. I think people have the most success getting in when they know someone on the inside.