Location: Austerlitz, New York, United States

Mission: The Millay Colony for the Arts offers one-month residencies to visual artists, composers and writers between the months of April and November. Residents artists get private rooms, studios and all meals during their stay at our pastoral campus. For lots of information about our residency program and how to apply, visit our Residencies page. The Colony also has a workshop series, with five-day workshop-retreats in writing, art, video-making and, yes, canning your own food.

The Millay Colony is in Austerlitz, New York—approximately 2 1/2 hours north of New York City and 2 1/2 hours west of Boston, Massachusetts. The Colony sits on a seven-acre campus bordered by Edna St. Vincent Millay’s former house and gardens and the beautiful Harvey Mountain State Forest.

Cost: information unavailable

Number of Artists: Up to 6 artists at a time

Accommodations: The Steepletop Barn was built in the mid 1920’s by Edna St. Vincent Millay from one of the classic kits designed by Sears & Roebuck. It was renovated and made into Colony housing in 1980. There are four bedrooms on the ground floor and four studios upstairs. The studios measure 14′ by 20′ and have full-spectrum fluorescent lights and adjustable incandescent lights.

The barn is lovely but basic. The mountaintop air keeps you cool in the summer and feather quilts keep you warm in winter. A telephone is available in the barn.

The Main Building was designed with a team of artists with physical disabilities to offer universal access. Completed in 1997, the Main Building has the Colony’s kitchen, dining and living areas, music room, dark room and other public rooms.

The main building has two suites. The Speinson Suite has a 16′ by 20′ studio, two bedrooms, and bathroom. The two bedrooms make the Speinson Studio usable by an artist requiring an aide or by two artists working on a collaborative project. The studio has a door that opens to the grounds, full-spectrum fluorescent lights and adjustable incandescent lights, a sink, and a full room ventilation fan. The McClennen/Hope Suite has a 15′ by 22′ studio with a Yamaha U1 Upright piano, one bedroom, and bathroom. The studio has a door that opens to the grounds, full-spectrum fluorescent lights and adjustable incandescent lights, a sink, and a full room ventilation fan.

An excellent local chef cooks healthy dinners using mostly local organic produce. Our fruit and vegetables come from the Hawthorne Valley Farm, about 8 miles away. We also provide food for residents to cook their own day-time meals. We are happy to respond to food allergies as well as vegetarian, vegan and other diets. We have a barbecue for outdoor grilling and get-togethers.

Length of Stay: 1 month-long from April through November

Demographic: National and International emerging and mid-career artists. Artists in all medium encouraged to apply.

Benefits: Resident artists enjoy walks through trails and meadows fragrant with wild thyme, flowers and blueberries. There is wonderful hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, bird-watching and blueberry-picking on our property and throughout the nearby State Forest. A short drive will bring you to the Catamount Ski resort and numerous parks and swimming holes. We have two libraries, thanks to the generosity of sculptor Nancy Graves. Dinners and food are provided, barbeques also happen. darkroom and photography equipment, a Yamaha U1 upright piano, a large collection of art books, a general library, a public kitchen, two lounges, a VCR, public telephones, wireless Internet access, and laundry. We also have a fax machine, a copier, a computer and a printer in the administrative offices which residents may use.

Deadline: October 1, 2013 (for 2014)

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