Receive the daily Popular Science newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries and DIY tips delivered six days a week. By registering, you confirm that you are over 16 years of age, will receive newsletters and promotional content, agree to our Terms of Use, and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Public broadcasting continues to face serious funding problems across the country, but PBS hero Bob Ross is here to help. Indiana’s Ball State PBS station has partnered with auction house Bonhams Skinner to sell one of the beloved painter’s many works. “Mountain Summit” was created in 1988 during season 13 of Ross’s revered television series, The joy of painting. The auction opens to bidding on June 30, as part of the auction house’s American Stories series celebrating the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary. The net proceeds from the sale will go to the public television channel.
Ball State PBS is especially suited for the event. Ross filmed 30 of 31 seasons of The joy of painting on WIPB in the small town of Muncie, IN, which quickly became a nationally recognized series after its debut in 1982. Muncie now also hosts The Bob Ross Experience at Minnetrista Museum & Gardens inside the same house where he filmed his show.
“Bob Ross’s connection to Muncie and WIPB is a special part of the Ball State PBS story,” Angie Grimes, Ball State Public Media’s interim general manager and director of audience development, recently told local news outlet WANE. “This painting is a beautiful reminder of the role our station played in helping bring Bob’s creativity, encouragement and joy to viewers around the world.”
Although Ross died due to complications from lymphoma in 1995, both his series and his recognizable, easy-going personality have remained cornerstones of pop culture for more than 30 years. Multiple studies have examined the so-called Bob Ross effect from psychological and sociological points of view in an effort to contextualize its widespread appeal. In 2024, researchers determined that observing The joy of painting It noticeably improved the mood of viewers, even going so far as to suggest it as an “effective complementary therapy to improve mental health.”
Bonhams Skinner estimates that “Mountain Summit” could sell for between $50,000 and $70,000, although other Ross paintings have previously sold for more than $1 million.
2025 PopSci Best of what’s new
For more tech updates, stay tuned to our blog.
