Born in Galway, Ruth McHugh is a fine artist and cultural researcher.  She studied Fine Art Painting at NCAD and went on to become a founding member of Artspace Studios in Galway. She has exhibited widely including The Royal Hibernian Academy, Galway Arts Festival and as a Gallery artist with the Peppercanister Gallery. Her works are in the collections of The Arts Council, OPW, AIB, AXA Insurance and the National Self-Portrait Collection.

She holds Masters Degrees in Public Culture from IADT for research into the history of Visual Arts Development and works at present as a Media Assistant with Ballymun Communications.