Winter’s Peace by Bob Ross, set to be sold at Bonhams Los Angeles
Thirty paintings by beloved television art instructor Bob Ross will soon head to auction, with proceeds supporting public television.
American Public Television (APT) has consigned the collection to Bonhams, which will feature several of the works in its California & Western Art sale on November 11th in Los Angeles. The remaining paintings will be offered gradually across several auctions in 2026. According to APT, proceeds from these sales will help sustain both APT and PBS, ensuring the continued operation of public broadcasting in the United States.
Bob Ross hosted The Joy of Painting on PBS from 1983 to 1994, producing more than 400 episodes and inspiring countless viewers to pick up a brush. Though Ross passed away in 1995, his presence remains a comforting constant in American culture. His gentle demeanor and signature encouragement to embrace “happy accidents” made art approachable and joyful for millions. Even three decades after his death, Ross continues to represent calm, creativity, and kindness in an often hectic world.
However, that legacy now faces new challenges. Recent federal budget cuts — over $1 billion slashed from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) at the urging of President Donald Trump — have placed PBS and NPR under serious financial strain. The CPB oversees both networks, which provide public television and radio programming nationwide. As a result, PBS has reportedly reduced its workforce by 15%, and several local stations have been forced to close.
Most of Ross’s paintings created for The Joy of Painting have rarely been seen beyond their televised moments. More than 1,100 works remain in storage with Bob Ross, Inc., though some have entered private collections or museums—most notably, the Smithsonian Institution, which acquired several in 2021. During his lifetime, Ross frequently donated paintings to PBS stations for fundraising purposes, a practice now echoed by APT’s decision. As Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross, Inc., explains, this move “ensures his legacy continues to support the very medium that brought his joy and creativity into American homes for decades.”
Bonhams is no stranger to Ross’s market. At its American Art sale in New York in August 2025, two Ross landscapes sold for $114,800 and $95,750 (with premium), respectively. The upcoming group of thirty paintings is expected to bring in at least $825,000, though with Ross’s enduring popularity—and growing public support for PBS in the face of funding cuts—these works may well exceed expectations.