Public television has done a tremendous amount to bring education, culture, and the arts to homes across the country. Of the many programs that were broadcast over the decades, one of the most endearing to people of all ages was “The Joy of Painting” starring Bob Ross. Between his distinctive hair, calming voice, and incredibly use of the “wet on wet” painting technique, Ross delighted audiences and indeed, showcased the joy that is painting. Now, some of those very pieces he created on air are being used to try and help the medium that brought him into homes to begin with.
Public television (and public radio) are hurting. Earlier this year, the Trump administration gutted funding, leaving television and radio stations in a scrambling position to fill the gap. The funding can be used to acquire programming to broadcast, pay personnel, and quite literally keep the lights on. It’s not a good situation by any stretch and it threatens the future of programming that can truly benefit the public.
Leave it to the people of Bob Ross Inc. to step up to help. Joan Kowalski, President of the company, says the organization’s intent is to aid public broadcasting by auctioning off 30 paintings that Ross created, several of which were done on air. “This auction ensures his legacy continues to support the very medium that brought his joy and creativity into American homes for decades.” Kowalski said.
Bonham’s will be will be auctioning three of the paintings on November 11th. They value the full collection of 30 paintings to be worth anywhere from $850,000 to $1.4 million. Sadly, this is only a fraction of the $1.1 billion that was lost in cut funding. It’d still a good start though, and one that has a lot of emotional resonance. The other auctions will be held I London, New York, Boston, as well as online.
You can view the listings for the three paintings on Bonham’s website here.
