Dozens of Bob Ross paintings will be auctioned to help American public television stations following sweeping cuts to federal funding for public broadcasters earlier this year.
Thirty of the late artist’s works are being offered for sale by American Public Television in auctions starting Nov. 11. The syndicator of programming for public television stations has pledged that 100 percent of the net sale proceeds will benefit stations run by APT and PBS, auction house Bonhams said in a statement.
The auction “comes at a critical time for public television, which faces recent reductions in federal funding,” Bonhams said.
Encouraged by President Donald Trump, Congress decided to strip $1.1 billion in federal funding for public broadcasters including PBS, NPR and local radio and television stations across the country.
Trump has called the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a nonprofit set up to dole out congressionally appropriated funds to public broadcasters, a “monstrosity.” Several Republicans have accused PBS of promoting “woke propaganda” in its programming.
Democratic politicians have condemned the cuts, noting the role PBS programming has played in educating children and the importance of local stations that rely on federal funding in rural areas.
Bob Ross rose to fame on the public access television circuit. His show, “The Joy of Painting” — in which he taught painting skills and shared his thoughts about life and nature — ran for more than a decade on PBS starting in the early 1980s.
His show saw a resurgence of popularity during the coronavirus pandemic, coinciding with a 2021 Netflix documentary chronicling his life and power struggles around his business empire. Ross died of cancer in 1995 at the age of 52.
“Bob Ross dedicated his life to making art accessible to everyone through public television,” Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc., said in a statement. “I can’t think of a more meaningful way to share his works of art than by supporting public television’s mission to educate and inspire,” she added.
The auction includes paintings Ross completed on-air and in front of film crews. Earlier this year, two Bob Ross paintings sold at auction for $95,750 and $114,800.
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