Bob Ross–the iconic American painter, art instructor, and TV host–is loved around the world as much for his warm personality as he is for his “wet-on-wet” oil paintings (meaning that the artist layers fresh paint over paint that has not yet dried). He is arguably best known for his TV show, The Joy of Painting, in which he teaches artistic techniques that allow him to paint one landscape (his specialty) in half an hour. The show ran from January 11, 1983, to May 17, 1994, and still can be seen on PBS, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and YouTube.
Students at RMA love Bob Ross, such as 9th grader Will Robillard, who says that he watched The Joy of Painting all the time as a kid. RMA alumna Abigail Newcomb (Class of 2020) even dressed up as Bob Ross during spirit week one year. Luckily, these students and also adults from North Carolina and beyond are currently able to enjoy Ross’s work at the Bob Ross Exhibit.
From November 2nd to January 4th, NC Wesleyan is hosting not only the first Bob Ross exhibit in North Carolina but also the largest one in the world, displaying 76 of his paintings in the Mims Gallery of the Dunn Center. (Our readers might recognize this gallery as the space where audience members can greet the cast of RMA productions after the curtain closes.) Each of the paintings in the exhibit was shown on The Joy of Painting and was finished in just thirty minutes!
Over Thanksgiving break, I was lucky enough to meet with Sheila Martin, Executive Director of the Dunn Center, to learn all about the exhibit. Thanks to her, I not only got to see the exhibit myself, but was also able to gain personal insight into the gallery’s impact, the people involved, the stories behind it, and–most importantly–just how Rocky Mount’s own Wesleyan University got this opportunity. It all began when Martin met with the college’s previous art curator to discuss possible future exhibitions and the idea of Bob Ross came up. In July 2022, the Dunn Center wrote a contract for the Bob Ross exhibit called Fantastic Little Paintings. Thanks to the Bob Ross Foundation, facilities like Wesleyan can host exhibitions of the painter’s work at no charge!
People have been volunteering each day to talk to visitors and make them feel welcome; upon doing so, they have discovered that the exhibit has sent ripples across the world, as people have traveled to see it from around the US, including Alabama, Connecticut, Missouri, Michigan, and Texas, and have even come from as far away as Canada and London! Martin says that all who have visited the exhibit are “happy, positive people,” and many of them have shared personal stories about how Bob Ross helped them through difficult times. One such individual includes Wes Day, the leader of the Blue Man Group, who struggled with depression through COVID but was able to find comfort in watching The Joy of Painting. One visitor even claimed that he probably would be in prison if it weren’t for Bob Ross because he used to be part of the wrong crowd. However, once he started watching The Joy of Painting on television, he was inspired to no longer hang out with those people and enjoy Ross’s artwork instead.
Unique experiences and opportunities have also come along with the exhibit, such as the chance for Bob Ross’s best friend to share stories and talk with people about his beloved friend. Having him there was a great way for people to learn about the artist and who he was as an individual and not just a public figure. To help others connect with Ross and with each other, the Dunn Center also allows people to book parties at the exhibit so that they can have the gallery to themselves. Many already have Christmas parties scheduled throughout December–the perfect way to get in the holiday spirit!
Martin says she hopes “that people leave feeling happy they have come” and that the exhibit “inspires them to do something in their life they didn’t think about before.” She says that “people are always learning something” from art–whether it’s Bob Ross’s or someone else’s.
Fantastic Little Paintings is on display from November 2nd to January 4th at the Dunn Center at NC Wesleyan and can be visited any time from 10 am-1 pm or 2 pm-5 pm. Tickets are $15 per person (admission is free for children under five) and can be purchased online here or in person at the Dunn Center Box Office. Bob Ross merchandise is also sold there, so keep that in mind if you have any Christmas shopping left to do! Art is a wonderful way to open our minds, and we are so lucky to have this unique opportunity so close to home.
