Bob Ross' work from the first episode of 'The Joy of Painting' is on sale for $9.8 million

• Bob Ross' first on-air painting is on sale for $9.8 million.
• The owner of the Minneapolis art gallery selling the painting said he hopes it goes to a museum.

The first artwork iconic TV painter Bob Ross ever painted on air is on sale for $9.8 million.

"The Joy of Painting" with Bob Ross first aired on PBS in 1983. The instructional painting show where Ross would teach everyday viewers to paint their own nature landscapes ran on the network until 1994.

Ross was known for his calm demeanor and soothing voice on the show.

Ross's first on-air painting, "A Walk in the Woods" from January 1983, is now on sale in a Minneapolis art gallery, according to CNN.

The gallery called Modern Artifact obtained the painting earlier this year, according to the outlet. The gallery bought the piece from a former volunteer from the PBS station where the first episode was filmed who purchased it at a fundraising auction in 1983, CNN reported.

The gallery's owner, Ryan Nelson, told the outlet that they are in no hurry to sell the painting and hope to display it in a place where the public can have access to it.

"It's a truly irreplicable, one-of-a-kind painting," he said. "Ideally, we would like to share it with a museum or traveling exhibit to allow as many people as possible to view such an exciting work of art."

Nelson said nostalgic interest in Bob Ross and his aesthetic on social media has caused an increase in the value of the TV artist's work over the past few years.

"The driving force behind the increased demand for Bob Ross paintings seems to be collectors themselves," Nelson told CNN.

Modern Artifact did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.