HERITAGE OTTAWA ANNOUNCES RECIPIENT OF CULLINGHAM GRANT
Heritage Ottawa is delighted to announce that the 2025 Gordon Cullingham Research and Publication Grant was awarded to Merlyna Lim, artist, author and Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Carleton University, for her project entitled Walking Ottawa in Ink & Washes: A Quiet Cartography of a City Becoming Home.
The Cullingham Grant selection panel was unanimous in choosing this richly layered project that offers a creative exploration of Ottawa’s heritage places through 100 original ink-and-watercolour sketches of the city’s landscapes, streetscapes, and buildings. Each image will be paired with a short text that weaves together a vernacular history and personal reflection.
The project draws on urban sketching and visual storytelling traditions as an alternative way of understanding and appreciating urban heritage. The project deliverables will include an illustrated print-ready and digital book and a set of public-facing activities such as artist talks, “walkshops” or informal exhibitions to engage local audiences, all of which present opportunities for Heritage Ottawa’s engagement.
Merlyna Lim is an award-winning artist and author, and Canada Research Chair in Digital Media & Global Network Society at Carleton University, where she directs the ALiGN (Alternative Global Network) Media Lab. She supports innovative forms of storytelling that ground lived experience, amplify marginalized voices, and foster meaningful public dialogue.
With close to seventy percent of the sketches finished, the funds will enable the completion of the project with a launch date in early 2027.
The Gordon Cullingham Research and Publication Fund was established by Heritage Ottawa in 2008 in honour of the late Gordon Cullingham, journalist, broadcaster, editor and heritage activist.
Heritage Ottawa is pleased to support this project that will serve to broaden our appreciation of Ottawa's architectural and social history. Congratulations to this year's grant recipient!
