One of the best ways to decorate an Athens, Ohio, apartment is with some great art, but who can afford a Picasso as an undergrad? Okay, besides Brittney, and she blew it on that Audi and a trip to Amsterdam, the snot. The rest of us have to get creative when it comes to home art. Fortunately, we live in the age of the Internet, where Picasso prints are actually pretty affordable, and in 2026, the options are better than ever. Check out these resources for cheap or even free online art to make your Ohio University rental feel like an actual home.
Society6
Okay, so it’s not Picasso, but who knows, you might be the person who discovers the next generation’s Picasso before everyone else catches on. Society6 offers emerging artists a platform to sell their work, and a lot of it is surprisingly affordable. You can get prints, framed prints, tapestries, canvas art, and even phone cases and throw pillows if you want to go all in on a theme. The quality has gotten noticeably better over the years, too, so you’re not just buying something that looks great on a screen and falls apart when it arrives.
Etsy
No, it’s not just for handmade sweaters and personalized mugs your aunt sends at Christmas. If you’re willing to scroll past the wall signs that say things like “Live Laugh Lake House,” you can find genuinely beautiful and affordable original art on Etsy. You’re buying directly from working artists, many of whom are students or early-career creatives themselves, which makes it feel a little less like decorating and a little more like supporting someone’s actual dream. Digital downloads are also a huge category on Etsy now. You pay a few dollars, download the file, and print it yourself at Walgreens or Staples for next to nothing.
Saatchi Art
Since Exhibition A closed its doors, Saatchi Art has stepped up as one of the best places to find affordable original art online. It’s a global marketplace connecting buyers directly with artists, and unlike a lot of art sites, it actually skews toward original pieces rather than just prints. You can filter by price, and yes, there are genuinely affordable options if you’re not looking for a massive canvas, as well as by style, medium, and color palette. If you want something that looks like it costs more than it did and will make your guests think you have a luxury apartment in Athens, Ohio, Saatchi Art is worth bookmarking.
Redbubble
Think of Redbubble as Society6’s equally cool cousin. Independent artists upload their designs, and you can buy them on everything from framed prints to posters to tapestries. The range is enormous, from minimalist line art to pop culture references to original illustrations you won’t find anywhere else. Prices are reasonable, sales happen constantly, and the search filters make it easy to find something that matches whatever vibe you’re going for in your space. A lot of OU students end up with Redbubble pieces they genuinely love and take with them long after they’ve left their Athens, Ohio, student rentals.
Unsplash and Canva (Free Options)
Unsplash is a free high-resolution photo library where you can download stunning images, landscapes, architecture, abstract photography, portraits, and print them yourself. Canva, which most people think of as a design tool, also has a growing library of free art prints you can customize and download. Print a few favorites at a local print shop, throw them in some affordable frames from Amazon or Target, and you’ve got a gallery wall for under $30.