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The year 2020 was on track to be financially devastating for the Penticton Art Gallery, with COVID-19 forcing a temporary closure and compromising their fundraising abilities.
Then along came Bob Ross.
"It's been a steady stream of people all summer long. On average, we've been having between 150 and 225 people a day, it's just been amazing," said curator Paul Crawford.
The Bob Ross: Happy Little Accidents exhibition, open since July 4, has been wildly popular, showcasing work from the celebrated pop culture icon known for his television series The Joy of Painting.
Guests have waited upwards of two hours in a socially-distanced line for their chance to get in the doors, travelling from far and wide.
"We've had people from Winnipeg drive out here just for the show, countless people drive up from Vancouver for the day, all over Vancouver Island, it's just been amazing the distances people have travelled just to catch the show," Crawford said.
"It's really been the right tonic for the time, for sure."
Joy to the people, and much-needed funds to the gallery.
"Financially it's helped us out tremendously in a year that was shaping up to be a real disaster for us in terms of fundraising and everything else," Crawford said.
He estimates the total visitors will be around 15,000 by the time all is said and done, and while he doesn't have total revenue numbers yet, they will more than make up for a much-diminished annual art auction and other fundraisers the gallery normally relies on as their lifeblood.
But most of all, Crawford hopes the enduring charm of Bob Ross' art will leave its mark on the gallery.
"What I really hope is that the legacy will be that all those people who came and visited the gallery for the first time will come back next time and continue to support us, which would be amazing," Crawford said.
The Bob Ross exhibition runs until Sept. 13, with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday to accommodate any extra crowds looking for their last chance to experience the "happy little accidents" in person.
