Artists donate free, uplifting images to the UN in pandemic response

Dozens of beautiful artwork are available for free.
By Anna Iovine  on 
Artists donate free, uplifting images to the UN in pandemic response
Artwork from the UN Credit: left: Lauren Mitchell right: Dylan Morang

The internet is a scary enough place as it is, and now with the added misinformation and panic surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, it's even scarier. Thanks to the United Nations and dozens of artists, however, the internet just got a little more beautiful.

In late March, the UN put a call out to artists to help combat the spread of COVID-19. They sought creatives to create content around six areas of WHO and UN priority actions: personal hygiene, social distancing, knowing the symptoms, spreading kindness, myth-busting, and doing more/donating. Tens of thousands of artists answered the call in two weeks, and now the COVID-19 Response Creative Content Hub is available for browsing.

Flatten the curve. Credit: LAUREN MITCHELL
Soap hope. Credit: DYLAN MORANG

While artists of all kinds, including writers and musicians, contributed to the efforts, the UN made a special page on free use photo site Unsplash to display artwork. The page bio, "To educate, uplift, and inspire people all across the world through the global COVID pandemic crisis, this library of artwork was donated by creators in response to the UN’s Open Brief thanks to the generosity of the creative community."

Mashable Image
Wash your hands Credit: Wali's Studio
Mashable Image
Spread positivity not the virus Credit: Alissa Azureen
Mashable Image
share kindness Credit: João Pedro Costa

Not only can we peruse the site and enjoy the images, we can share them — for free. So go forth and spread positivity with this artwork; it's what the UN and creators themselves want.

anna iovine, a white woman with curly chin-length brown hair, smiles at the camera
Anna Iovine
Associate Editor, Features

Anna Iovine is associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps to pelvic pain. Before Mashable, Anna was a social editor at VICE and freelanced for publications such as Slate and the Columbia Journalism Review. Follow her on X @annaroseiovine.


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