Spring Gallery Show: Washed in Ruby Light, An Exhibition by Paloma Barhaugh-Bordas

This spring, the Patricia O’Keefe Ross Gallery will feature solo exhibition “Washed in Ruby Light,” by artist, educator, and activist Paloma Barhaugh-Bordas.

The exhibition centers on quilting as a material and social practice, exploring themes of healing, care, and community in response to contemporary social fragmentation. It is anchored by Quilt for Healing, Care, and Connection (2025), a handmade quilt conceived as an instrument for building connection and collective care. Drawing from quilting traditions across cultures—including Gee’s Bend quilts and Korean bojagi—the work reflects how textiles function as repositories of narrative, resilience, and cultural memory.

Barhaugh-Bordas’ practice is informed by traditions of cooperative labor, particularly in printmaking communities. In this exhibition, that ethos extends into sewing and quilting, emphasizing collaboration and process as central to the work. The exhibition title references the artist’s grandmother, Ruby, whose kimono fabric is incorporated into the central quilt alongside shades of red that symbolize care, remembrance, and healing.

Barhaugh-Bordas is an artist, educator, and activist living and working in Austin, TX. Their interdisciplinary practice spans print media, installation, and social and collaborative work at the intersection of migration, queerness, and ecology. Barhaugh-Bordas has exhibited nationally and internationally and has participated in residencies including Casa Lu (Mexico City), Women’s Studio Workshop, the Institute for Electronic Arts at Alfred University, MI-Lab (Japan), and Kala Art Institute.

“Washed in Ruby Light” is on display now through April in the Patricia O’Keefe Ross Gallery located in the Joseph S. Skalny Welcome Center. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

The artist is also available to meet with a class or student group. If interested in arranging, please contact Roblyn Powley at rpowley@sjf.edu, adjunct instructor of media and communication and interim curator for the gallery.