{"id":437392,"date":"2026-01-29T19:06:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T19:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/437392\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T19:06:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T19:06:12","slug":"bob-ross-paintings-fetch-1-2-million-for-public-tv-after-trump-cuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/437392\/","title":{"rendered":"Bob Ross Paintings Fetch $1.2 Million for Public TV After Trump Cuts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThree paintings by late artist Bob Ross<\/a> \u2014 who taught art to viewers nationwide for more than a decade in the 1980s and early Nineties on PBS<\/a>\u00a0TV series,\u00a0The Joy of Painting \u2014 sold for a total of $1.27 million in support of public television following the devastating federal cuts by the Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tAuction house Bonhams Skinner announced<\/a> the news on Jan. 28 and detailed that Ross\u2019 1990 oil painting \u201cChange of Seasons\u201d surpassed its estimate of $60,000 and brought in $787,900, leading the sales. The painting, created during the TV series\u2019 20th season, depicts autumn trees framing snowy mountains in the background, and was described by Ross himself as \u201cjust a beautiful little painting\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe other two landscape paintings by Ross included Valley View (1990) and Babbling Brook (1993), which sold for $203,700 and $279,900, respectively \u2014\u00a0also exceeding their presale estimates. The trio of art collectively garnered more than half of the auction\u2019s total sales of $2.4 million at Bonhams Skinner\u2019s \u201cAmericana: Crafting a Nation: Art, History & Legacy\u201d auction, held in Marlborough, Massachusetts.\u2060<\/p>\n

\t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cTo see Bob\u2019s paintings resonate so powerfully reminds me that his work continues to bring joy and meaning to people\u2019s lives,\u201d said Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc., in a statement. \u201cI\u2019m hopeful that Bob\u2019s work can provide meaningful support to stations nationwide. It\u2019s exactly what Bob would have wanted \u2014 to continue inspiring and uplifting public television for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

American Public Television (APT), a non-profit syndicator of television programming, offered the Ross paintings and pledged to direct 100 percent of net proceeds to public television stations around the U.S.\u2060 A new collection by the beloved artist will be available at Bonhams Skinner\u2019s New York auction in April.\u2060<\/p>\n

\n\tIn July, President Donald Trump<\/a> signed a bill cancelling $1.1 billion in congressional funding<\/a> for the\u00a0Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps direct federal funds to\u00a0NPR<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0PBS<\/a>, while most of the money is sent to support more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations <\/a>across the country.<\/p>\n