Stories of Isolation: Oran Stainbrook and Whiz Nguyen from Kenilworth UT

This summer Harvey the bus went on the road. Funding from UHIP and partnership with USARA made possible a journey to Moab and Price/Helper to connect with rural areas.  The grant addresses social isolation as a health concern. We met Oran in Kenilworth Utah population 200 located a few miles east of Helper. Orin’s response to social isolation was to buy the country store and turn it into an artist co-op space. He bought the store for $45,000 and has spent the last 8 years fixing up this 10,000 sq. foot building. “My whole life this was my dream,” says Orin. We also talk with Oran’s partner Whiz, a nomadic woodworking artist who has come home to Kenilworth. She talks about freedom in its many forms. First it was being a nomad living out of her truck and traversing the country 3 times. Now she is finding freedom in community where responsibility is shared and made lighter. The conversation dives into spirituality, revolution, and what it is to hear your calling. Oran is currently stirring the pot of AI in Carbon County and he’s doing it very thoughtfully. Stay tuned.  He’s organizing the Helper Arts Festival. We will be there with Harvey the bus and the busker stage. Come see us. Support the show