The works of one of America’s most celebrated artists and cultural icons are returning to Rocky Mount this year. Beginning on December 2, the Bob Ross Bringing Back the JOY exhibit will again be on display in the Mims Gallery of the Dunn Center at North Carolina Wesleyan University.

The 2024 exhibition will look to build on the success of the 2023 exhibition at the Mims Gallery. In 2023, the Mims Gallery hosted 76 of Ross’ paintings. The exhibit was viewed by nearly 12,000 visitors from 43 states and abroad, including visitors from Australia and London.

The 2023 exhibit was so successful that Bob Ross Inc. worked with Sheila Martin, Executive Director of the Dunner Center, and the gallery’s Art Curator, Jan Sullivan Volz, to bring the exhibit back to Rocky Mount this winter.

Executive Director Sheila Martin says that while there have been smaller showings in Virginia and Florida in the past, “this is the second largest exhibition of Bob Ross in the world, the first was at the Dunn Center last year.”

The 2024 exhibit will feature 76 newly revealed paintings, including special pieces aside from those featured on his PBS show, The Joy of Painting. It will be co-sponsored by PBS and Our State Magazine.

Unlike typical art exhibitions, where visitors experience primarily the tangible contributions of an artist, Bob Ross Bringing Back the JOY also highlights Ross’ contribution to the betterment of the human condition. Ross put art within reach of the everyday person. He did not simply display his talents but gifted them in part to his viewers each week, helping millions across the world discover and nurture their love of art and painting.

This symbolism is not lost on Sheila Martin. Martin points out that exhibitions at the Dunn Center such as this, “offer a vision to Nash County of what the creative human soul is capable of and what people crave to experience.” Martin went on to say, “Creatively, being human we think, we imagine, we create. We need platforms to share events and places to actually see new experiences.”

The Dunn Center and Mims Gallery are doing just that. Providing a platform and place for the local community and visitors from all over to experience art and culture on a world class scale.

The fact that the Mims Gallery in Rocky Mount has now been selected twice to feature the works of such a culturally significant artist such as Ross speaks to the credibility of the gallery and expertise of its staff. It also highlights the viability of Rocky Mount as a venue for such an event.

The Bob Ross Bringing Back the JOY exhibit, and other exhibitions and events at the Dunn Center and Mims Gallery represent more than just passing events, but offerings that expand access to art and culture for the local community.

As far as growing the local arts and culture scene in our region, Martin highlights the fact that access is incredibly important. She noted that, “Eastern North Carolina has talent. We have to get the word out and excite people to explore…we are located in the rural part of the state but that does not mean that there is an absence from the arts!”

Bob Ross Bringing Back the JOY will be on display in the Mims Gallery of the Dunn Center on North Carolina Wesleyan University’s campus from Monday, December 2, 2024 through Monday, January 13, 2025. Tickets can be purchased through the University’s website.

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