It’ll be a full-circle moment when a Bob Ross painting is auctioned to raise money for the Indiana station at which it was created more than 40 years ago.
The company that manages the brand of the late artist and entrepreneur, known for his dulcet voice and curly hair, is auctioning the painting “Mountain Summit,” hoping to bolster the coffers of Ball State PBS, formerly WIPB.
The painting will be auctioned online on June 30.
It’s one of a series of auctions of Ross paintings taking place to benefit public television stations across the country.
All the money from the sale of this painting, though, will go to the Ball State station, which was the longtime home of the late artist’s series “The Joy of Painting” (1983-1994).
“WIPB is a particularly special station, because that’s where Bob filmed all of his programs,” said Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc. “So aside from what we’re doing with American Public Television, we also decided to donate a painting directly to Ball State PBS so that we could help them as well.”
“Bob loved that station. He loved those people so much, and he loved the area. He loved everything about Muncie. I just decided, let’s just do one more and see how it goes.”
About “Mountain Summit”
How much could the painting fetch?
“We’ve been sort of studying how it differs, and one thing we know for sure is the paintings that Bob actually completed on air, so you can actually see the artist paint the painting; those seem to be the ones that garner the highest bids,” Kowalski said.
“Mountain Summit” was created during an episode of “The Joy of Painting” that originally aired in 1987.
“We’re hoping that means that it will bring in a good final bid,” she said. “It’s just so hard to say for sure. It bounces around so much. I wish I could tell you it will bring in lots of money, and I think it will; but I just don’t know for sure.”
How Bob Ross paintings are sold
Bob Ross Inc. owns about 1,000 paintings created by the icon.
Kowalski selects which go up for auction.
“I pick out the ones that I just think are the prettiest. It’s not very scientific. There’s no real rhyme or reason to it. I do have an appraiser who’s in Washington, D.C., and he has been helping me, as well. He’s got a good eye for what seems to be the most desirable in a painting.”
“It should have a mountain, for sure. It should be a painting that was produced on television. People love to have the video of Bob painting the actual painting that’s on their wall,” she said.
Could “Mountain Summit” be a million-dollar painting?
A Bob Ross painting, “Cabin at Sunset” was sold for $1,044,000 through an auction by HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.”
It was part of “John Oliver’s Junk Auction,” which raised more than $1.5 million for the Public Media Bridge Fund, which is helping stations to temporarily find new funding after the Republican-controlled Congress stripped more than $1 billion from public media.
Bob Ross Inc. granted the series’ request for a painting, the sale of which was announced on the Season 12 finale.
“That whole thing was so amazing. We loved working with them. They were a lot of fun. And they were so appreciative,” Kolwalski said. “And they did a great story on public media.”
“He really went down and dirty about how these stations are working and how they do a lot for a little.”
Other Bob Ross auctions
Before the “Last Week Tonight” sale, a November 2025 auction of three Bob Ross paintings brought in a total $662,000, double the pre-sale estimate. That auction was held to offset the cost of programming for public stations, which lost all federal funding earlier that year.
The three paintings were among the set of 30 Ross works that Bonhams is auctioning through 2026.
Bob Ross traveling exhibit planned
Bob Ross Inc. has about 1,000 paintings by the icon, and plans to donate hundreds of them to a traveling exhibit, Kolwalski said.
“Hopefully, the whole country just gets covered with exhibits of Bob Ross. That’s the goal.”
Funding is being sought to establish the exhibit that is being shepherded by Minnetrista Museum & Gardens, which operates the Bob Ross Experience in Muncie.
“It’s going to be really interactive. There’ll be seats in front of TVs so that people can watch TV while they’re in the gallery. You’ll be able to send messages to other visitors of the exhibit. I’ve seen all of the plans. It looks really great.”
How to buy a Bob Ross painting
To bid on the Bob Ross painting “Mountain Summit,” bonhams.com.
Watch Bob Ross paint ‘Mountain Summit’
See the Season 13, episode of “The Joy of Painting,” in which Bob Ross paints “Mountain Summit” below:
Contact reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cjackson@usatodayco.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson or Bluesky: @cherylvjackson.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Bob Ross painting up for auction to help Muncie public media station
Reporting by Cheryl V. Jackson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cheryl V. Jackson, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
