Bob Ross Auction Raises $600K to Aid PBS After Funding Cuts
Three original Bob Ross paintings sold at auction Tuesday for more than $600,000 combined, marking one of the strongest sales for the late artist’s work and offering financial support to public broadcasting stations now struggling after the loss of federal funding. The auction, hosted by Bonhams in Los Angeles, began at 4 p.m. ET and featured works painted during Ross’ years filming “The Joy of Painting,” the beloved instructional series that aired from 1983 to 1994.
The auction was part of a broader effort to help PBS stations nationwide after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in May directing the end of public funding for both PBS and National Public Radio. The order claimed the organizations had used “tens of millions of dollars” to spread “radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”
How the Paintings Performed
The three works sold Tuesday were created in 1990 and 1993 and were each featured on episodes of “The Joy of Painting.” Each piece included Ross’ signature in the lower left corner.
“Cliffside” was the first to be auctioned, selling for $114,800 against a pre-sale estimate of $25,000 to $45,000. “Home in the Valley” achieved $229,100, while “Winter’s Peace,” the highest-profile lot, sold for $318,000. All sale prices included the buyer’s premium.
The strong totals far exceeded early projections. Bonhams said the auction is part of a larger effort to sell 30 Bob Ross paintings, with all net proceeds going to American Public Television and PBS member stations. Additional auctions will be announced at a later date.
Overall, Bonhams estimates that the full series of Ross auctions will bring in between $850,000 and $1.4 million.
PBS Scrambles to Fill Funding Gap
The president’s executive order immediately affected hundreds of PBS and NPR stations across the country. The Associated Press reported that many stations were forced to lay off staff, cancel long-running local programs, or launch emergency fundraising campaigns to stay afloat.
The order instructed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cut off funding “to the extent allowed by law.” For many smaller stations, federal support once covered a significant portion of their budgets, leaving them especially vulnerable in the months following the announcement.
The auction proceeds will help stabilize programming and operations at a time when the loss of federal funding has placed unprecedented pressure on stations’ finances.
Why Bob Ross Works Are Being Used to Fundraise
Bob Ross Inc. president Joan Kowalski said in an October statement that the sale of the paintings reflects the company’s mission to keep Ross’ work aligned with the values of public broadcasting. She noted that the auction helps ensure Ross’ “legacy continues to support the very medium that brought his joy and creativity into American homes for decades.”
Ross, who died in 1995, filmed more than 400 episodes of “The Joy of Painting,” during which he created hundreds of landscape scenes that have since become cultural icons. While the majority of his paintings were never sold during his lifetime, interest in his work has soared in recent years.
The 30 artworks included in the fundraising series come directly from the Ross archive and are among the few originals ever made available to the public.
More Auctions Scheduled
Bonhams confirmed that additional paintings from the collection will be auctioned in January, with remaining works sold later in the year. The exact schedule has not yet been announced, but auction officials say interest has been overwhelming.
For many public broadcasting stations, the Ross auctions arrive at a critical time. The sales offer both symbolic support and immediate financial assistance as programmers navigate shrinking budgets and an uncertain future for publicly funded media.
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