WATERTOWN, NY; June 9, 2022 – WPBS-TV is hosting a Wilson Bickford Memorial Screen & Sip on Friday, June 17th from 6 to 8 pm at the View Center for Arts and Culture in Old Forge.
This two-hour event celebrates Wilson Bickford, a talented and much-loved internationally-known artist whose home base was Gouverneur, New York. Wilson was host of WPBS-TV’s “Painting with Wilson Bickford,” which has aired for eight seasons nationally on PBS stations throughout the United States. Its final season is airing this spring on WPBS-TV, Mondays at 1:30 pm.
The event will feature a social hour from 6 to 7 pm, with wine, hors d’oeuvres, and music, followed by a screening of an episode from Painting with Wilson Bickford’s final season. If they choose, attendees will be invited to share stores and memories of Wilson. Paintings from the series will be for sale. All proceeds benefit public television. Attendees will be able to tour the View Center for Arts and Culture.
The event is open to the public and admission is free. Reservations are required.
Wilson passed away on December 18, 2021 after complications from illness.
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 nationally on Create TV as well as other PBS stations. For eight seasons, Wilson changed the lives of viewers with his accessible and encouraging approach. 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 is deeply missed.
Register/RSVP at wpbstv.org/events or on WPBS-TV’s Facebook page at facebook.com/wpbstv by June 14th.
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.
