Bob Ross painted 'happy little trees.' His art sparked a bidding war at charity auction

"Three paintings by beloved artist Bob Ross were sold at auction for more than $600,000 to help support American Public Television after its government funding was cut. A trio of Bob Ross paintings sold for more than $600,000 in a Los Angeles charity auction Monday to help support public television programming that is struggling after government funding was slashed. American Public Television, the national public program, offered the landscape paintings from the beloved artist in a fundraising effort after the Trump administration and Congress pulled more than $1 billion in government support earlier this year."

""We're thrilled with the results of this auction, which has surpassed our expectations," Jim Dunford, president and chief executive of American Public Television, said in a news release. "These funds will help local stations continue to serve their communities with impactful programming. We're deeply grateful to Bob Ross, Inc. for shining a spotlight on the need to support public media, at this critical time.""

"The auction took place at the Los Angeles offices of international auctioneer Bonhams, but most bidders did not show up in person, placing bids instead via phone calls to auction workers and online. The frameless paintings sat in a corner of the room on easels, reminiscent of Ross' humble TV studio. Once the bidding began, the room exploded into applause at the gavel-pounding completion of each sale. The auctions only lasted a few minutes for each painting, excitement mounting as prices skyrocketed upward."

Three Bob Ross landscape paintings sold at a Los Angeles charity auction for more than $600,000 to benefit American Public Television following large government funding cuts. American Public Television organized the fundraiser after the Trump administration and Congress removed more than $1 billion in support, offering the artworks through Bob Ross, Inc. The auction, held at Bonhams, attracted mostly remote bidders by phone and online. The frameless works sat on easels, evoking Ross' TV studio, and each sale provoked applause as bidding surged and prices climbed rapidly, delivering unexpected fundraising results for local public media.

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