In a twist that’s both poignant and practical, the legacy of Bob Ross—the gentle, afro-topped artist beloved by millions—has become a lifeline for America’s public television stations. With federal funding for public broadcasting slashed by $1.1 billion earlier this year at the suggestion of the Trump administration, the estate of Bob Ross and American Public Television (APT) have announced a landmark auction of 30 original Ross paintings. The proceeds are earmarked to help keep public TV afloat amid a wave of layoffs, closures, and budget cuts that have swept through PBS, NPR, and their local affiliates.
Bob Ross, who died of cancer in 1995 at the age of 52, remains a touchstone of American culture. His show, The Joy of Painting, ran from 1983 to 1994 on PBS and, with his soothing voice and “happy little trees,” inspired millions to pick up a paintbrush. Now, decades after his last televised brushstroke, Ross’s art is being called upon to rescue the very medium that made him a household name.
“Bob Ross dedicated his life to making art accessible to everyone through public television,” 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.”
The timing could hardly be more critical. According to Deadline, the House of Representatives voted in July to rescind $1.1 billion in funding for public media, a move that led to the shutdown of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and a 21% budget cut at PBS. Thirty-four staffers were laid off in September alone, and NPR and local stations have announced further layoffs and closures. PBS CEO Paula Kerger has expressed hope that federal support might return next fiscal year, but for now, public broadcasters are scrambling for solutions.
Enter the Bob Ross auction. Bonhams, the international auction house, is handling the sale, which it describes as the “largest single offering of Bob Ross original works ever brought to market.” The first three paintings will be auctioned on November 11 in Los Angeles, with subsequent sales planned for London, New York, Boston, and online throughout 2026. Bonhams estimates the combined value of the 30 paintings at between $850,000 and $1.4 million—a potentially record-breaking sum for works by Ross, who created roughly 30,000 paintings in his lifetime but rarely sold them.
Many of the pieces on the block were painted live on air during The Joy of Painting, giving them a unique provenance and appeal for collectors. “With his market continuing to climb, proceeds benefiting American Public Television, and many of the paintings created live on air—a major draw for collectors—we expect spirited bidding and results that could surpass previous records,” Robin Starr, general manager at Bonhams Skinner, told NPR in a statement. Recent sales support that optimism: In August 2025, two classic Ross mountain lake scenes fetched $114,800 and $95,750, respectively, at Bonhams, setting new records for the artist.
Ross’s paintings, while plentiful—his output was prodigious thanks to the show’s fast-paced, wet-on-wet technique—are seldom auctioned. Most are held by the artist’s foundation or have remained in storage since their creation. The 30 paintings now up for sale span Ross’s career and, according to Bonhams, have been “previously unseen by the public except during their creation in individual episodes.” Among them are vibrant landscapes featuring the serene mountains, tranquil lakes, and “happy trees” that became Ross’s signature.
Ross’s journey to television fame began in the US Air Force, where he spent two decades—much of it in Alaska’s wilderness. The dramatic scenery inspired his love of landscapes and shaped his painting style. He honed his technique under the tutelage of Bill Alexander, another TV painting instructor, and eventually brought his own brand of artistic encouragement to American living rooms. His advice was as much about life as painting: mistakes were “happy accidents,” and talent was simply a “pursued interest.”
The proceeds from the auction are pledged to American Public Television stations to help offset licensing fees for popular educational programming, including The Best of the Joy of Painting, America’s Test Kitchen, Rick Steves’ Europe, and Julia Child’s French Chef Classics. According to NPR, these fees are a significant burden for smaller and rural stations, many of which are at risk of losing access to national content in the wake of federal cuts. Bonhams noted, “This enables stations to maintain their educational programming while redirecting funds toward other critical operations and local content production threatened by federal funding cuts.”
The crisis in public broadcasting has not gone unnoticed by viewers and activists. Demonstrators dressed as Bob Ross appeared at a Chicago protest in late September, calling for the restoration of federal support to PBS. The outcry reflects broader anxieties about the future of public media in the United States, especially as stations serve as crucial sources of educational, cultural, and local news programming—often in communities with few other options.
The funding cuts themselves have been deeply contentious. According to Gizmodo, the Trump administration and its allies justified the move by labeling public broadcasting as “woke” and, in some cases, “communist.” Critics argue that the cuts undermine a vital public good, disproportionately affecting stations in underserved areas. Supporters of the cuts, meanwhile, contend that public broadcasting can and should rely more on private donations and market forces.
Ross’s enduring popularity offers a glimmer of hope. His show still airs on PBS, streams on platforms like Hulu and Twitch, and has found new audiences in recent years—particularly during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when viewers sought comfort in his gentle teaching style. Certified instructors continue to spread his wet-on-wet oil painting technique, and in 2019, the Smithsonian acquired several of his works for its permanent collection.
Meanwhile, the art market for Ross’s work has heated up. His very first TV painting, A Walk in the Woods, is owned by the main dealer in his work and has an asking price of $9.85 million, a testament to the growing esteem in which collectors hold his art.
As the auction approaches, there’s a sense that the stakes are higher than ever—not just for collectors vying for a piece of TV history, but for the public broadcasters who have long served as cultural lifelines. Whether the sale will be enough to offset the damage from federal cuts remains to be seen. But for now, Bob Ross’s “happy little trees” may help keep the airwaves vibrant and accessible for generations to come.
