WATERTOWN, NY; April 8, 2022 – WPBS-TV announces the winners of its Painting with Wilson Bickford Season 8 contest.
Three lucky winners were picked to choose one of three original oil paintings by late art instructor and television host, Wilson Bickford. Wilson’s show, Painting with Wilson Bickford, is in its eighth and final season airing on PBS stations. Wilson passed away in December 2021.
The contest winners are Mickey Barrett of Blossvale, New York, Carol DeMatteis Reick of Rome, New York, and Patricia Keene Bryant of Laeger, West Virginia. The winners have their choice of three paintings crafted during the filming of the eighth season: December Sunrise, Evening Palms, and Snow Glow.
WPBS is planning a Wilson Bickford memorial screen and sip celebration, to be held at the View Arts Center in Old Forge on June 17. The celebration will include a screening of a season 8 episode, wine and appetizers, a chance to share memories of Wilson, and the opportunity to purchase some paintings from past seasons of Painting with Wilson Bickford. Advance registration for the event will be required and will open in May.
Audiences across the country and in Canada know Wilson as the witty and personable paint instructor whose show, “Painting with Wilson Bickford,” is found locally on WPBS and Create TV. For eight seasons this North Country treasure changed the lives of viewers with his accessible and encouraging approach. Syndicated on dozens of PBS stations across the nation and available on on demand online, Wilson’s how-to-paint show quickly became popular worldwide. Painters from all over the globe have learned from this self-taught talent, and have shared their paintings with Wilson via email, text, or Facebook. Often touted as the North Country Bob Ross, this undeniable talent was truly a mentor to many, and has been deeply missed.
The 8th season of “Painting With Wilson Bickford” is currently airing on WPBS-TV, Monday afternoons at 1:30. Previous seasons of the program are available for on- demand viewing anytime on WPBS Passport. Passport is a benefit for all WPBS members who support the station with a minimum donation of $60 annually.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders.
More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter and Facebook.
