Thirty paintings by the bushy-haired, gentle-voiced Bob Ross are to be sold at auction to help cover the cost of programming for small and rural public TV stations feeling the pinch from reduced federal funding.
Ross, a public television stalwart in the 1980s and ’90s, “dedicated his life to making art accessible to everyone,” said Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc. “This auction ensures his legacy continues to support the very medium that brought his joy and creativity into American homes for decades.”
Bonhams in Los Angeles will sell three of Ross’ paintings on Nov. 11. There will be other sales later in London, New York, Boston and online. All the proceeds will be donated to stations that use programming from distributor American Public Television.
The proposal is to assist needy stations with licensing costs that enable them to air hit programs such as “The Best of Joy of Painting,” from Ross’ show, “America’s Test Kitchen,” “Julia Child’s French Chef Classics“, and “This Old House.”
At the behest of President Donald Trump, Congress has cancelled $1.1 billion in funding for public broadcasting, leaving roughly 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations to seek new revenues. Dozens initiated emergency fund drives. Some were compelled to cut staff and programming.
The popular Ross died in 1995 from cancer complications after 11 years on the air with “The Joy of Painting.” His how-to show appeared on stations throughout the U.S. and globally. The retired Air Force drill sergeant, famous for his soothing voice and words of encouragement, enjoyed renewed popularity with the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ross frequently talked as he painted on the air of painting happy little trees and clouds, and making no errors, but rather “happy accidents.”
The 30 works to be sold range across Ross’ career and feature landscapes in his characteristic style, including serene mountain views and lake scenes. Most of the 30 were painted on-air, each in less than 30 minutes, which was the time of one show.
Two mountain-and-lake vistas of Ross from the early 1990s sold by Bonhams in August for $114,800 and $95,750. The 30 paintings to be auctioned soon have a combined estimated value of between $850,000 and $1.4 million, according to Bonhams.
