A 1987 Bob Ross painting, *Cabin at Sunset*, sold for $1.04 million in a benefit auction hosted by late-night comedian John Oliver, setting a new auction record for the artist. The work was painted during the second episode of the 10th season of Ross's television series *The Joy of Painting*. The online sale, which concluded November 24, included 65 eclectic lots—from presidential wax figures to a signed bucket of dolls—and raised funds for the Public Media Bridge Fund, which supports independent broadcasters amid federal cuts to public broadcasting.
This sale matters because it marks a dramatic escalation in the market for Bob Ross, whose works have historically sold for modest sums. The record price reflects both the cultural power of Ross's legacy and the fundraising urgency created by the Trump administration's $1.1 billion budget cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The auction also highlights how celebrity-driven charity sales can amplify attention on art-market milestones while directly supporting threatened public media infrastructure.