MUNCIE – Perhaps it was the many people who took up painting in their spare time during the pandemic. Perhaps it was a nostalgia for images and media of our childhoods. Or perhaps it’s just the calm voice of Bob Ross talking about happy little trees or reciting the colors of paint on his palette.
Whatever the reason, Bob Ross, host of “The Joy of Painting,” remains as popular – if not more so – in 2021 as he was when he retired from television in 1994.
Which is why you should take a Saturday afternoon and drive the family up to the Minnetrista Cultural Center, 1200 N. Minnetrista Parkway, to tour the Bob Ross Experience.
Built on the 40-acre grounds of Muncie’s Ball family compound, the Bob Ross Experience is located in Lucius L. Ball mansion a short walk from the main building.
Upon entering the building, visitors can tour a recreation of the WIPB public television studio where each episode of “The Joy of Painting” was filmed. Two television cameras are trained on an easel featuring one of Ross’ paintings and visitors can look into the camera to see a video of Ross painting.
Bookshelves in the home-turned-television studio are packs with gear and personal belongings of Ross and the crew who filmed each week. The array of items includes spools of cable, a pack of cigarettes, a metal tin of butter cookies, coffee cups and a jar of Vick’s VapoRub. Before each show, Ross would clear his sinuses by inhaling the VapoRub. He believed it helped the quality of his voice.
Just across the hall from the studio is a room made up to resemble a late 20th century living room – the room where millions of viewers sat each week to follow along with Ross’ lessons on how to paint. The centerpiece of the room is a console television featuring a video of Ross painting. A TV tray is set up to the left of an overstuffed arm chair with paint brushes, paint and an unfinished canvas, as if someone had just gotten up to get a snack in the middle of the lesson. Couch cushions bedecked with Bob Ross quotes about life and painting are strewn across the couch.
Other displays throughout the first floor spotlight Bob Ross memorabilia: everything from a bobble head doll to a Bob Ross Chia Pet.
When you see a cosplayer at a pop culture convention dressed as Bob Ross, you know he’s become an icon. The entire exhibit paints a picture of why Bob Ross was so popular. He was a positive force that led his audience to do something that most of us think we can’t do – and that is paint. Ross continues to inspire new artists more than 20 years after his death with 403 complete episodes of “The Joy of Painting” found on YouTube.
