There are not any errors: Late artist Bob Ross‘ pleased timber are about to as soon as once more assist out public broadcasting. On last week’s 2025 finale of “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” the host satisfied the Bob Ross property to public sale one other of the PBS TV stars’ work to help public media. And it has paid off: Ross’ “Cabin at Sundown,” which he painted on a Season 10 episode of PBS’ “The Pleasure of Portray” in 1986, had fetched round $1,044,000 after 53 bids.
As bids closed on Monday night time at midnight ET, this represented a brand new public sale document for a Bob Ross portray. Earlier this month, Bonhams Los Angeles auctioned off three extra of Ross’ “Pleasure of Portray” works, to help American Public Tv — the corporate that continues to distribute “Pleasure of Portray.” On Nov. 11, “Winter’s Peace” (1993) offered for $318,000, whereas “Cliffside” (1990) went for $229,100 and “Residence within the Valley” was offered at $114,800. All informed, these three work nabbed $662,000 — and are actually dwarfed by this new determine.
On the present’s Nov. 16 episode of “Final Week Tonight,” Oliver detailed how the choice by the Trump Administration and Congress to remove $1.1 billion from the Company for Public Broadcasting earlier this yr has severely impacted radio and TV stations, notably in rural areas. That’s why the present launched “John Oliver’s Junk,” an internet site with 65 gadgets (most from the present) that have been up for bid to help public broadcasting — together with “Cabin at Sundown.”
All informed, the public sale raised practically $1.54 million for the Public Media Bridge Fund, which is aiding native public broadcasters in briefly discovering new funds within the wake of the CPB closure.
The Bob Ross portray was, after all, the vast majority of that sum. However different main gadgets included an opportunity for somebody’s picture to seem in a graphic over Oliver’s shoulder throughout an episode (in addition to two VIP tickets to a stay present taping), which fetched $100,025. A visit to New York to satisfy Oliver netted $51,600, whereas a signed case of “SauvignJohn” wine grabbed $13,025.
Different gadgets included Russell Crowe’s jock strap (“worn by Russell Crowe within the main movement image Cinderella Man and later bought by ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,’ throughout season 5 of the present, as a part of Crowe’s ‘Artwork of Divorce; public sale during which Crowe offered his private belongings to pay for his divorce”), and “Mrs. Cabbage Oliver” (“John Oliver’s on-screen spouse, married throughout an on-screen wedding ceremony officiated by Steve Buscemi. A part of ‘Final Week Tonight’s’ season 9 section on AI-generated artwork during which John marries a cabbage within the studio”).
Additionally: A big, gold-plated re-creation of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s balls (“Sculpture of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s scrotum, a part of the season 12 section on presidential libraries”), 5 wax Presidents of the US, and golden Adidas sneakers (“Gold sneakers John Oliver promised to put on in a season 2 episode of ‘Final Week Tonight with John Oliver’ if scandal-ridden FIFA President Sepp Blatter stepped down”).
“We’ve truly accrued a bunch of bizarre artifacts on this present through the years that we might positively public sale off to lift some a lot wanted cash,” Oliver stated on final week’s present. “I’m proud to announce final week tonight’s first ever public sale in help of public media. That is actual!” Proceeds will go to the Public Media Bridge Fund, which is aiding native public broadcasters in briefly discovering new funds within the wake of the CPB closure.
Within the case of the Bonhams auctions, these three work have been a part of 30 Bob Ross works that will likely be offered over the subsequent yr, with American Public Tv directing all of its proceeds to help public TV stations throughout the nation.
