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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 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 idea is to help stations in need with licensing fees that
allow them to show popular programs that include “The Best of
Joy of Painting,” based on Ross' show, “America's Test Kitchen,”
“Julia Child's French Chef Classics” and “This Old House.” Small
and rural stations are particularly challenged.
As desired by President Donald Trump, Congress has eliminated
$1.1 billion allocated to public broadcasting, leaving about 330
PBS and 246 NPR stations to find alternative funding sources.
Many launched emergency fund drives. Some have been forced to
lay off staff and make programming cuts.
The beloved Ross died in 1995 of complications from cancer after
11 years in production with “The Joy of Painting.” His how-to
program was shown on stations around the U.S. and around the
world. The former Air Force drill sergeant known for his calm
demeanor and encouraging words enjoyed a resurgence in
popularity during the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ross spoke often as he worked on air about painting happy little
clouds and trees, and making no mistakes, only “happy
accidents.”
The thirty paintings to be auctioned span Ross’ career and
include landscapes depicting serene mountain vistas and lake
scenes, his signature aesthetic. He created most of the 30
on-air, each in under 30 minutes, which was the span of a single
episode.
Bonhams sold two early 1990s mountain-and-lake scenes of Ross in
August for $114,800 and $95,750. The auctions of the 30
paintings soon to be sold have an estimated total value of
$850,000 to $1.4 million, Bonhams said.
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