75+ Bob Ross Paintings On Exhibit At A North Carolina College

He was known for his trademark hair as much as his art instruction show on PBS. Now what's being billed as the "world’s largest Bob Ross paintings exhibition" is on display in North Carolina. You can currently see more than 75 of Ross' original works of art at North Carolina Wesleyan University in Rocky Mount.

Bob Ross began painting when he took an art class while stationed in Anchorage, Alaska with the U.S. Air Force. He served in the military from 1961 and 1981. Ross famously hosted The Joy of Painting on PBS from 1983 to 1994. He passed away in 1995 at the age of only 52. Thanks to the internet, Ross' show, along with the artist’s gentle words of wisdom and encouragement, only grew in popularity after his death. People are still learning "the Bob Ross way."

On the PBS show, Bob Ross taught aspiring artists how to paint landscapes. In the years since his passing, Ross' own paintings have increased dramatically in both interest and value. The very first one he painted on television in 1983 is up for sale at a gallery in Minneapolis for a whopping $9.85 million. And the Topps baseball card company recently released a Bob Ross-themed collection called “The Joy of Baseball.” Topps superimposed photos of current Major League players over those iconic landscapes, happy little trees and all.

The Bob Ross "Fantastic Little Paintings" exhibition will be at the Mims and Gravely Galleries inside North Carolina Wesleyan University's Dunn Center through January 4, 2024. Tickets are $15 dollars. Admission is free for children under the age of five. Here's a preview: