Additional Coverage:
Bob Ross Paintings Head to Auction to Aid Struggling Public TV Stations
Thirty original paintings by the beloved, bushy-haired artist Bob Ross are slated for auction, with all proceeds dedicated to bolstering small and rural public television stations grappling with significant cuts in federal funding.
Ross, a familiar face on public television throughout the 1980s and ’90s, was known for his calm demeanor and signature phrase, “happy little trees.” Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc., noted that Ross “dedicated his life to making art accessible to everyone,” adding that this auction will “ensure his legacy continues to support the very medium that brought his joy and creativity into American homes for decades.”
These 30 pieces, created largely on-air during episodes of his iconic series “The Joy of Painting,” represent his enduring artistic journey. Ross, who passed away in 1995 from cancer complications, famously encouraged viewers to embrace “happy accidents” rather than mistakes.
Auction house Bonhams will host the first sale of three paintings on November 11 in Los Angeles, with subsequent auctions planned for London, New York, Boston, and online platforms. Previous sales by Bonhams in August saw two of Ross’s early 1990s mountain-and-lake landscapes fetch $114,800 and $95,750, respectively.
Bonhams estimates the total value of the upcoming 30 painting auctions to range from $850,000 to $1.4 million. All profits are earmarked for public television stations utilizing content from American Public Television, assisting them with licensing fees for popular programming such as “The Best of Joy of Painting,” “America’s Test Kitchen,” “Julia Child’s French Chef Classics,” and “This Old House.”
This fundraising initiative comes as public broadcasting faces significant financial strain. Congress eliminated $1.1 billion in allocated federal funding, a move supported by then-President Donald Trump, compelling approximately 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations nationwide to seek alternative revenue streams.
In response, many stations initiated emergency fundraising drives, some exceeding their targets. North Carolina’s WQHR, for example, garnered over $200,000 in three days, surpassing its $174,000 goal, while Hawaii Public Radio raised $650,000 after facing a $525,000 shortfall. Both NPR and PBS have encouraged support for struggling stations, reduced annual dues for programming, and explored collaborative service-sharing to cut costs.
Despite these efforts, the federal cuts have taken a toll. Not all stations have witnessed a similar surge in donor support.
PBS itself responded by slashing its budget by 21% and laying off approximately 100 employees in September. Many local stations have also been forced to reduce staff and programming.
While no stations have ceased operations entirely, concerns persist regarding their long-term viability if donor contributions diminish.
PBS President Paula Kerger expressed a stark outlook in September, stating, “I have to believe that there are some vulnerable stations that are not going to make it.” National Public Radio President and CEO Katherine Maher further emphasized the gravity of the situation in July, warning that defunding public media “is a real risk to the public safety of the country.” Maher highlighted that public radio and television are “a critical part of the emergency response plans of nearly half of the states in this nation,” cautioning that a loss of these services would severely limit real-time emergency alerting capabilities during future natural disasters.