The Atlantic releases two NFTs for auction
Illustrations from The Atlantic's pandemic journalism reflect a challenging year
The Atlantic today is auctioning its first-ever NFTs (non-fungible tokens), two original pieces of artwork commemorating The Atlantic’s illustrations from a year of crisis. The two NFTs, “Illustrations From a Pandemic Year (#1)” and “Illustrations From a Pandemic Year (#2),” offer snapshots of how The Atlantic’s art and design team used illustration across the past year to help visualize the newsroom’s essential pandemic journalism.
These NFTs are available on the NFT marketplace OpenSea. The auction is open now and will run until Tuesday, April 6, at 12 p.m. ET.
Created by the designers and artists who have elevated The Atlantic’s visual direction since the brand’s redesign in 2019, “Illustrations From a Pandemic Year (#1)” and “Illustrations From a Pandemic Year (#2)” feature some of the most memorable illustrations from The Atlantic’s coronavirus coverage. Each NFT consists of 10 images and headlines, and readers will recognize images that appeared in both the magazine’s print pages and on its website.
“Our art and design team has done incredible, cutting-edge work across the past year,” Nick Thompson, the CEO of The Atlantic, said. “We were inspired to experiment with this new medium, and think about what non-fungible artwork looks like for a brand with our history.”
The Atlantic’s visual design is led by creative director Peter Mendelsund, who along with editorial design director Oliver Munday led the brand’s 2019 redesign, the most dramatic overhaul of The Atlantic’s visual identity in its 164-year history. Munday, along with art director Paul Spella and associate art directors Katie Martin and Arsh Raziuddin, created the illustrations in “Illustrations From a Pandemic Year (#1)” and “Illustrations From a Pandemic Year (#2).” Design director Caroline Smith and director of photography Luise Stauss have also helped lead The Atlantic’s visual direction over the past year.
All proceeds from the sale of The Atlantic’s NFTs will be used to support The Atlantic’s journalism, which has earned record audiences and been recognized as some of the most vital coverage of the historic year.
To participate in the auctions, visit: