Collingwood Creates: When a town becomes a creative ecosystem

Published October 2025

In this episode of In the Making, we explore how creativity shapes not just individual work, but entire communities.

Recorded as a special collaboration with the Town of Collingwood, Collingwood Creates brings together three artists whose work reflects the evolving creative energy of the region.

Rick and Anke Lex, the founders of Tremont Studios, share the story behind the restoration of a historic downtown building that was once facing demolition. What began as an act of preservation became something larger: a thriving studio space where artists, musicians, and cultural events now bring people together. 

Photographer Leah den Bok, known for her project Humanizing the Homeless, reflects on how portraiture can challenge the way people see one another. Her work reminds us that creativity can act as a bridge — connecting empathy, storytelling, and social awareness.

Singer-songwriter Gracie Jet adds another perspective on creative life in the region. Drawing on her experiences as both a musician and a nurse, her songwriting explores resilience, vulnerability, and the emotional threads that connect people through music.

Together, their stories reveal something larger than individual practice. They show how creative spaces, shared purpose, and community support can transform a place into a living cultural ecosystem.

In Collingwood, creativity is not only something artists pursue individually, it is something that helps shape the identity of the town itself.

Themes in this episode

• Creativity and place
  How artists influence the cultural identity of the communities they live in, and how place in turn shapes creative work.
• Spaces that enable art
  The role of studios, venues, and restored historic buildings in supporting creative ecosystems.
• Art as community connection
  Photography, music, and visual art become tools for building empathy and shared understanding.
• The power of local creative networks
  Why collaboration between artists, organizations, and communities helps sustain long-term cultural growth.

“When you make room for art, you make room for connection.” — Rick & Anke Lex

Rick & Anke Lex

Rick and Anke Lex are the founders of Tremont Studios, a historic arts space in downtown Collingwood. Their restoration of the former Tremont Hotel transformed a building once facing demolition into a vibrant creative hub for artists, musicians, and community events.

Through exhibitions, performances, and cultural programming, Tremont Studios has become an important gathering place for the region’s creative community.

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Leah den Bok

Leah den Bok is a Canadian photographer and the creator of the internationally recognized project Humanizing the Homeless. Through portraits and personal stories, her work challenges stereotypes and invites viewers to see the humanity behind lives often overlooked.

Her photography has been exhibited widely and continues to spark conversations about empathy, dignity, and social awareness.

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Gracie Jet

Gracie Jet is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose music blends reflective storytelling with cinematic folk-pop influences. Drawing on her experiences as a nurse and lifelong writer, her songs explore themes of resilience, vulnerability, and connection.

She performs throughout Ontario and continues to build a growing audience while working toward her debut album Survive.

From the Archive

This conversation was originally recorded during the early phase of the podcast when it was known as RATT – Rebel Artists Through Time. It remains part of the Piperlime Studio archive and is now presented within the In the Making series.