Meet Meagan Ouderkirk of the Madoo Conservancy

When it comes to becoming a member of the Board of Trustees of a not-for-profit organization, Meagan Ouderkirk has a unique story. She and her soon-to-be-husband fell in love with Madoo Conservancy in Sagaponack. Yes, the facility allowed weddings, but only two per year. Luckily, they were able to squeeze the couple in. That was 2007. Since then, she has become a member of the Board of Trustees.

“It is magical which is why we wanted to get married here,” gushes Ouderkirk, who has become president of the board. “And now, I want everyone to see it in all its beauty. It is a tiny gem in Sagaponack. I just feel everybody has to experience this place.”

Madoo Conservancy is not just a beautiful garden. It also is an art gallery, a learning space, a gift shop and much more. Like many of the wonderful spots in the Hamptons, many people think it lies dormant until the spring blooms return. Not so. It is a year-round garden that is captivating in the winter with it’s bare trees and bushes that turn into living sculptures. If you venture inside, you’ll experience art in ways not possible in larger museums and galleries. There’s no squeezing in, no ropes telling you to come no closer or docents with eagle eyes to make sure you stand the requisite six feet away.

Less than two acres, Ouderkirk says the grounds are perfect for strolling. (No biking allowed, no paved paths.)

“As you’re walking, there’s a chair here or a bench there,” says Ouderkirk, who adds that the trilling of the water is tranquil. “You could tour the whole garden in a half hour or stay for a few hours.”

Madoo was the backyard of artist and painter Robert Dash, who was born in New York City in 1931. Homeschooled for much of his childhood and adolescence, he studied literature and anthropology at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. A writer, art critic and book editor, he pursued his passion for painting on the side. Self taught, he developed an appreciation and understanding of the growing importance of Abstract Expressionism. Some of his contemporaries included Alex Katz and Fairfield Porter, who had a home and studio in Southampton. Thanks to encouragement from Katz and Porter, he had his first show in 1960. In 1967, Dash relocated permanently to Sagaponack, to the home he named Madoo, which is old Scots for “my dove.”

He devoted himself to painting, poetry and gardening. Madoo became a forum for creative discourse and critique, as well as a refuge for the likes of John Ashbery, Porter, William de Kooning and Jimmy Schuyler. In the 1970s, he became known for his depictions of the vanishing Sagaponack landscape. His work was both widely exhibited and cherished by private collectors. In the 1980s and ‘90s, he returned to Expressionism. Dash’s work has been shown in solo exhibitions in Holland, England and Germany, as well as numerous major American art museums and galleries that include the Museum of Modern Art, Yale University, the Guggenheim, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Corcoran Gallery and the Parrish Art Museum.

Interestingly, many of the benches and chairs remain where Dash first placed them, giving visitors a chance to experience the garden as he did. Come see what he considered an ideal view. Ponder why a bench was turned one way, rather than another. Were there things he saw that you’re missing? Or, were there things he saw that are missing?

Ouderkirk hopes each and every visitor will feel at home enough on the grounds to take the time to ponder such weighty matters.

“The gardens are a lovely place to wander and meander through,” Ouderkirk says. “We also want visitors to come inside and view the art gallery and the shop. We’re a tiny cultural institution that encompasses all types of artistic expression. Dash was friends with incredibly talented people.”

Although technically closed, they do have events and exhibits during the winter. Visitors also can make an appointment for a walk and visit the gallery and see where Dash lived and worked. See the paint-splattered floors and the rooms where he felt he had the best light for his work.

If you want to know more about Robert Dash, Madoo is currently hosting “Looking Back,” an exhibit of some of his works. It examines three groups of paintings by Dash that drew inspiration from works earlier in his career.  It includes works from 1988-89 in vibrant  oranges and pinks; his Sagg Main series of 2007 were inspired by an unfinished 1972 print that he revisited and painted over. Those works then led to a series of 11 major paintings depicting Sagg Main Street. They exemplify a continuum in Dash’s 55-plus-year career. The exhibit runs through May 23, 2026.

“One of my favorite things to do is to get a cup of coffee from the Sagaponack General Store and walk the grounds,” says Ouderkirk, who was on the board for eight years before becoming president two years ago. “I’d like for everyone to think of us as their own neighborhood park. It is accessible. We offer painting classes, classes for children, cocktail parties at five on Fridays.”

She adds that Executive Director Alejandro Saralegui, who worked with Dash before his death, is an expert on the garden. He and Dash planted many unusual plants that now are just little surprises in the garden.

Ouderkirk says that once someone visits, they understand why she says Madoo is a “not-to-be-missed” part of the Hamptons. The garden and gallery space is handicap accessible, but doesn’t allow dogs other than service dogs. It has a wealth of small mammals, birds and pollinators.

Thanks to a grant from the Barry Friedberg and Charlotte Moss Family Foundation, there is no admission fee, but donations are appreciated. For more information, visit madoo.org or email info@madoo.org.

Todd Shapiro is an award-winning publicist and associate publisher of Dan’s Papers.