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“Bob Ross Experience” coming to Ball State

MUNCIE, Ind. (NewsLink) — A new experience is coming to Bob Ross fans in Delaware County, specifically at Minnetrista. It is called the "Bob Ross Experience."

The event will take place in a refurbished Bob Ross studio - where participants will be able to paint right in the same spot Bob Ross recorded the show "The Joy of Painting."

Communications Manager Katy Maggart said the Bob Ross Experience is one of a kind.

“There is nowhere currently – until now that Bob Ross fans can go visit and learn about Bob,” Maggart said.

The Bob Ross Experience will have the cameras that were used to film his show, his easel, and his paint palate. Participants will be able to stand on the same spot that the iconic Bob Ross did during the 1980s.

“We’re going to recreate the studio and how it looked like then. It’s going to be cool for people to come in and see what it actually was, the studio space even includes the cameras that were used to film The Joy of Painting; so we’ve got some really great artifacts,” Maggart said.

Maggart said that Bob Ross had a traveling painting workshop, and when he stopped in Muncie, his workshop got sold out and he had to stay for a few more days; it was something that never happened to him before so he wondered why. He went down the boulevard and found the L.L Ball Home which was home to WIPB at the time and he they made conversation which made “The Joy of Painting” come to life.

“He filmed in the home, and you know, not many other places can say that he finished up his filming in a studio at Ball State. But, besides that, The Joy of Painting was filmed in the house, and I think he really enjoyed working in the home,” Maggart said.

There are workshops happening now before the opening that consist of a Bob Ross certified painter who will show others how to paint like Bob Ross. The Bob Ross Experience will only cost fans fifteen dollars for adults, and the kids can paint too for only twelve dollars. The opening will be on Oct. 31, and tickets will be available to the public on Sept. 14.

For questions or concerns about this story, contact the author at jdramos@bsu.edu