Some of America's most influential artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries are featured in this guide, along with a concise overview of the colonies in which they worked. These colonies ranged from Carmel-Monterey in California to Gloucester-Rockport in Massachusetts to Taos and Santa Fe in New Mexico. Some of the artists are famous today, such as Georgia O'Keeffe, while others were well known at the time and added to the name recognition of their particular colonies. Scholars, students, and anyone interested in American Art History will find valuable information on how the closeness of colonies can affect and influence artists.

For most artists, interest in art colonies began in the mid-1800s in Europe, where they had gone to live, work, and study. On returning to America, they continued what they believed was a practice that benefited their personal maturity as professional artists—living in a major city such as New York during the winter and spending summers with other working artists in art colonies. The impact of those early artists can be seen in the paintings of many of today's artists.