Bob Ross, the beloved daytime television painting instructor who captivated audiences worldwide with his peaceful monologues, continues to make a positive impact more than 20 years after his passing. His estate recently sold one of his original paintings at auction to benefit PBS and public media organizations, with the artwork fetching an impressive sum of over $1 million.
During the 2025 finale of "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver," the host requested that the Bob Ross estate auction off one of the artist's paintings for charity. The painting, titled "Cabin at Sunset," was created by Ross during the tenth season of his PBS series "The Joy of Painting" in 1986. After receiving an extraordinary 35 bids, the iconic artwork ultimately sold for $1,044,000.
This sale represents part of a larger trend of Bob Ross paintings being sold to support PBS, also known as the Public Broadcasting System, which has faced severe funding cuts under the Trump administration. In early November, Bonhams Los Angeles conducted an auction featuring three additional Ross paintings, all originally created during episodes of his television show, with proceeds benefiting American Public Television.
The November auction saw significant results across all three works. Ross's 1993 painting "Winter's Peace" commanded $318,000, while two paintings from 1990, "Cliffside" and "Home in the Valley," sold for $229,100 and $114,800 respectively. According to Variety, these three paintings were part of a collection of 30 Bob Ross works that will be sold throughout the coming year, all in support of American Public Television and their mission to provide financial assistance to public TV stations across the nation.
Oliver's special auction featured an eclectic mix of items beyond the Ross painting, including opportunities to meet Oliver in New York City, a screen-worn jockstrap that belonged to actor Russell Crowe, and wax figures of various presidents. The entire auction successfully raised nearly $1.54 million for the Public Media Bridge fund, an organization dedicated to helping public media outlets nationwide secure the necessary funding to continue operations.
The fundraising effort comes in direct response to the Trump administration's decision to effectively shut down the Corporation for Public Broadcasting by eliminating $1.1 billion from their budget. "We've actually accumulated a bunch of weird artifacts on this show over the years that we could definitely auction off to raise some much needed money," Oliver explained during the finale episode. "I am proud to announce Last Week Tonight's first ever auction in aid of public media. This is real!"
The success of these auctions highlights both the enduring popularity of Bob Ross's work and the critical need for alternative funding sources for public broadcasting. As public media organizations face unprecedented financial challenges, the sale of these paintings demonstrates how cultural artifacts can serve as powerful tools for preserving essential educational and cultural programming for future generations.
