Posted in: TV | Tagged: Bob Ross, pbs, the joy of painting

Bob Ross Estate Auctioning 30 Paintings to Support Public Television

The Bob Ross estate is set to auction off 30 of his paintings, some featured on his series "The Joy of Painting," to fundraise for public TV.

To say, "it's sad it's come to this," would be an understatement, but one of the biggest celebrities to emerge from public television in Bob Ross, is giving back in the form of an auction from his estate. Bob Ross Inc. is auctioning 30 paintings from the late artist to use the profits to offset programming costs for public television stations amid defunding. Ross, who passed in 1995 at the age of 52 from a long battle with cancer, emerged into the world of painting following his career in the armed forces, serving his time in the Air Force, and sharing his art with the world in a half-hour instructional program called The Joy of Painting.

Bob Ross Inc. to Auction 30 of the Late Artist's Paintings to Benefit Public Television

Ross, who hosted The Joy of Painting from 1983 to 1994, was taught by Bill Alexander, who hosted his own series, The Magic of Oil Painting, from 1974 to 1982. Ross started his program out of Falls Church, Virginia-based WNVC for its first season before moving to Muncie, Indiana-based WIPB until the end of 1994 before wrapping its run in Blue Ridge Public Television based out of Roanoke, Virginia. While the original series ran to 1994, a new season was released in 2024 with host Nicholas Hankins, featuring paintings Ross completed before his death. Seven of Ross's paintings were featured from his unfinished season for season 33, while Hankins provided six new paintings.

"[Bob] dedicated his life to making art accessible to everyone," Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc., told the Associated Press. "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 auction three of Ross' paintings on Nov. 11. Other auctions will follow in London, New York, Boston, and online. All profits are pledged to stations that use content from distributor American Public Television. The proceeds will benefit stations, who will need assistance with licensing fees that include Ross's show, America's Test Kitchen, Julia Child's French Chef Classics, and This Old House. Triggering the crisis was the House's clearance of $1.1 billion in spending cuts from public media, which affects public broadcasting outlets, like PBS and NPR. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting shut down. You can check out The Joy of Painting on the Bob Ross YouTube channel.

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