Three paintings by beloved American painter and instructor Bob Ross sold for a combined $1.27 million on Tuesday, raising critical funds in support of public media stations nationwide. The trio of works were sold at Bonhams auction house in Boston as part of its “Americana: Crafting a Nation” sale on behalf of American Public Television (APT), a nonprofit syndicator of programming. The organizations will donate 100 percent of the proceeds to its national network of public television stations. These sales, in which all three paintings far surpassed their high estimates, demonstrate a steady demand for the painter and instructor, whose market continues to rapidly climb.
Included in the auction were Changes of Seasons (1990), which sold for $787,900, more than 13 times its high estimate, as well as Babbling Brook (1993), which sold for $279,900, and Valley View (1990), which sold for $203,700. All three of the works were painted live on Ross’s celebrated series, The Joy of Painting, which aired on public television in the U.S. from 1983 through 1994.
“To see Bob’s paintings resonate so powerfully reminds me that his work continues to bring joy and meaning to people’s lives,” said Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc., who donated the paintings. “I’m hopeful that Bob’s work can provide meaningful support to stations nationwide. It’s exactly what Bob would have wanted—to continue inspiring and uplifting public television for generations to come.”
The January 27th sale at Bonhams is a part of a multistage auction series of 30 paintings donated by Bob Ross Inc. that began this past November and will continue throughout the year. The fundraising sales were organized after United States president Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled congress eliminated more than $1.1 billion in federal funding that was previously earmarked in support of public broadcasters.
“The results we saw in last November’s sale demonstrated just how popular Ross’s market has become,” added Bonhams’s Robin Starr. “Today’s offering takes that excitement to another level, with all three paintings attracting a great deal of spirited bidding and delivering outstanding results. We’re excited to build on this success throughout 2026 and are pleased to confirm that the next group of Bob Ross paintings will be offered in New York this April.”
