Podcast Summary: Cabinet of Curiosities – "Uplifting Art"

Host: Aaron Mahnke
Producers: iHeartRadio and Grim & Mild
Date: September 4, 2025
Episode Structure: Two short tales about unconventional art and transformation

Overview

In this episode, Aaron Mahnke explores the power of art, identity, and rebellion through two true stories: the first, about Michael Bowen—an artist-activist of the 1960s whose "magic" art became a tool for protest and peace, and the second, the secret life of Sammy Williams, a cook in the Old West who spent decades living as a man despite being assigned female at birth. Both tales highlight how individuals use creativity and self-invention to challenge oppressive systems and change the world in their own curious ways.

Story One: Michael Bowen and the Art of Protest

[00:00–10:44]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Origins and Philosophy ([00:26])

  • Michael Bowen, born into Beverly Hills wealth in the 1940s-50s, rebelled against conformity and sought mystical, artistic experiences.
  • Early exposure to mysticism by his grandmother influenced his spiritual and artistic path.

• Art as Magic ([01:24])

  • Bowen believed "his paintings are full of color, swirling lines, and evocative uses of the human eye."
  • Saw viewing art as a magical act: “He believed viewers of his work had a magical connection to it, seeing things that even he couldn't have anticipated.” ([01:49])

• Activism and Radicalization ([02:08])

  • The Vietnam War’s brutality led to Bowen’s dismay at art’s limitations in creating change.
  • Discovering LSD through friends, he experienced it as a mystical substance connecting him to a universal consciousness.

• Performance Art and the 'Human Be-In' ([03:49])

  • Bowen initiated the Human Be-In at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park:
    • Tens of thousands gathered; included speeches, poetry, and performances by bands like Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead.
    • LSD was used to facilitate collective consciousness.

• Pentagon Levitation Protest ([05:49])

  • Inspired by his experiments with a guru in Mexico, Bowen envisioned levitating the Pentagon as an act of peace.
  • Joined activist Abby Hoffman and other organizers for the 1967 March on the Pentagon ("100,000 protesters joined together at Lincoln Memorial...and marched across the river to the Pentagon." [06:49]).

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Iconic Acts of Protest ([08:32])
  • Bowen distributed daisies to protesters: “Some of the activists began to place the flowers in the barrels of the guns held by the soldiers surrounding the Pentagon. This moment was captured in several iconic photographs, providing a symbol across the nation of resistance to war.” ([09:21])
  • Reflecting on impact: “Michael may not have ended the war, but once again he had used his art to transform human consciousness, to guide it toward a better future.” ([09:50])

Segment Highlight

• [06:49–09:21] March on the Pentagon and the Daisy Incident
• [09:50–10:44] Reflection on the power of small acts of resistance

Story Two: Sammy Williams’ Secret Life in the Old West

[10:44–19:07]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Hidden Truths and Artistic Parallels ([10:44])

  • Segue into the notion that many people harbor secrets, referencing painter Francisco Goya’s hidden “black paintings.”
  • Prepares listener for tale of Sammy Williams, whose truth emerged only after death.

• A Mysterious Life ([12:21])

  • Billy, later Sammy Williams, arrived in Wisconsin as a cook in the late 1850s.
  • Mysterious behaviors: Kept to themselves, never got drunk, was multilingual, bought property, changed names and relocated after a suspicious encounter.

• Community Attachment

  • Despite secrecy, was beloved and generous: “He was popular among the ranch hands and a beloved dance partner at the local saloons...he often paid for his friends to receive medical care.” ([14:20])

• Revelation upon Death ([15:30])

  • The coroner discovered “biologically, Sammy was a woman.”
  • Motivations unraveled: sobriety, privacy, and property ownership—freedoms not granted to women at the time.

• Retrospective Identification ([16:48])

  • Sammy likely born Ingeborg Weekins in Norway, emigrated to Iowa, escaped societal restrictions after a broken engagement.
  • Raises the question of how Sammy would self-identify—whether as transgender or simply in pursuit of opportunity and autonomy.

• Historical Context of Gender Nonconformity ([17:51])

  • Hundreds lived as the “opposite gender” in the Old West; some for freedom, others escape, many erased from history.
  • Quote: “Their history was once considered an integral part of the Old West. It’s only in the last century that they’ve been erased or whittled down to singular characters like Calamity Jane.” ([18:40])

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Final Summation ([18:55])
  • On Sammy’s gravestone: “...a female whose real name is unknown, but who has been for many years known as Sammy Williams.”
  • Mahnke’s reflection: “After all, since the Old West was the land of opportunity, a chance to leave your past behind, strike it rich, and become whoever you wanted to be.” ([19:04])

Segment Highlight

• [15:30–16:48] The coroner’s discovery and explanation
• [17:51–18:40] The hidden history of gender-nonconforming people in the Old West

Episode Tone and Takeaways

• Uplifting, reflective, and empathetic—Mahnke highlights the enduring impact of quiet, strange acts of resistance and the persistent human drive for freedom and transformation.
• The episode wraps with a reminder not to romanticize dangerous risk (like excessive drug use), but to “have faith in the small, strange and curious acts of resistance that all work together to change the world.” ([10:31])

Notable Quotes

• On art and mysticism:
  “He saw these paintings as magic, as something beyond himself, something he couldn't help but create.” ([01:36])

• On protest and change:
  “Michael may not have ended the war, but once again he had used his art to transform human consciousness, to guide it toward a better future.” ([09:50])

• On identity in the Old West:
  “Outlaws would escape the gallows by hiding in plain sight as women. Plenty of women traveled west and became men to avoid the confines of marriage. Most of these gender nonconformists assimilated so seamlessly that they were only discovered after their deaths.” ([18:17])

• On reinvention:
  “After all, since the Old west was the land of opportunity, a chance to leave your past behind, strike it rich, and become whoever you wanted to be.” ([19:04])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment/Event Description | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------| | 00:26 | Introduction to Michael Bowen | | 01:24 | Bowen’s art philosophy (“art as magic”) | | 03:49 | LSD, mysticism, and turning to performance art | | 04:53 | The Human Be-In event | | 06:49 | The March on the Pentagon | | 09:21 | The daisy-in-gun-barrels protest moment | | 10:44 | Transition to “secrets revealed after death” | | 12:21 | Billy/Sammy Williams’ story begins | | 15:30 | Sammy’s true identity discovered by coroner | | 17:51 | Hidden histories of gender nonconformity | | 18:55 | Sammy’s gravestone, final reflection |

Summary:
"Uplifting Art" weaves together two remarkable stories of individuals who used art and self-invention to protest injustice and reclaim agency—reminding listeners that revolutions often begin with strange, brave, and curious acts. The episode is a tribute to those who dare to reimagine the world and themselves.