Upcoming Bob Ross Auction to Benefit Public TV Stations Facing Funding Cuts
“To support the very medium that brought joy and creativity into American homes for decades.”
Summary
- Around 30 Bob Ross paintings head to the auction block in support of public television stations facing funding cuts
- The auction series kicks off with a three-piece sale at Bonhams Los Angeles on November 11
Dozens of original artworks by Bob Ross, the soft-spoken legend of at-home art, will go under the hammer in a series of auctions to benefit public TV stations scrambling for new financial lifelines after recent federal funding cuts. The collection includes around 30 paintings, many of which were created on-air during Ross’s hit PBS series, The Joy of Painting.
The first auction of three works is slated for November 11 at Bonhams in Los Angeles, with subsequent sales planned for London, New York, Boston and online. All proceeds will go toward stations nationwide that run content from American Public Television.
“Bob dedicated his life to making art accessible to everyone,” said Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc. Kowalski described the auction as a way to “[ensure] his legacy continues to support the very medium that brought joy and creativity into American homes for decades.”
More than a steward of creative calm, market interest in Ross’s oeuvre has surged in recent years. In 2023, his first TV painting, entitled “A Walk in the Woods” (1983) went up for $9.85 million USD, while just this August, two of his paintings — “Lake Below Snow – Capped Peaks and Cloudy Sky” and “Lake Below Snow – Covered Mountains and Clear Sky” — sold for $114,800 and $95,750 respectively, more than double and triple their estimated prices.
