Bob Ross Fans! It’s ‘Time’ for Some Happy Trees
Bob Ross paintings head to auction to keep public TV alive after federal cuts.
“Bob wanted art to belong to everyone,” said Joan Kowalski of Bob Ross Inc. “It feels right that he’s still helping the people who made that possible.”
In a twist that feels both tender and tragic, Bob Ross’ “happy little trees” are coming back to save the very airwaves that once gave them life.
Thirty of his original paintings — those tranquil mountains, silver lakes, and cottony skies brushed in under half an hour — are headed for auction at Bonhams in Los Angeles this November. The proceeds will go toward public television stations gasping for funds after the federal government wiped $1.1 billion from public broadcasting budgets.
Bob Ross & The Joy of Painting Series
For small, rural PBS and NPR affiliates, the cut was a death blow. Some have gone silent, others run fundraisers out of desperation. Now, Ross’ quiet legacy is being summoned to fill the void — his soft-spoken brushstrokes turned into lifelines.
The paintings, valued up to $1.4 million in total, will travel from Los Angeles to New York, London, and online auctions. It’s a poetic rescue mission — the painter who found joy in every mistake, now helping a struggling public find hope on the canvas once more.
© ART Walkway 2025. All Rights Reserved.
