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Bob Ross Paintings Raise Over $600,000 for Public TV in First Bonhams Sale

Net proceeds support APT and PBS stations coping with a $1.1 billion funding loss.

Overview

  • Three works—“Winter’s Peace” ($318,000), “Home in the Valley” ($229,100), and “Cliffside” ($114,800)—sold in Los Angeles, with totals including buyer’s premiums.
  • Bonhams said all net proceeds go to American Public Television and PBS stations, with an emphasis on covering licensing fees and operating gaps for smaller outlets.
  • The sale is the opening tranche of the largest public release of Ross originals to date, a 30-painting program organized with APT and conceived by Bob Ross Inc. president Joan Kowalski.
  • Bidding far exceeded pre-auction estimates that topped out around $50,000 per painting, and Bonhams reported more than 350 participants; buyer identities were not disclosed.
  • Additional auctions are scheduled at Bonhams Skinner in Marlborough on January 27, with further sales planned in New York and London.