D’Puglia Youth Leadership in the Adriatic
Open Call for Artists & Designers
D’Puglia in partnership with Peace Boat US -friends of UN World Oceans Day
Reinterpreting WONDER - Sustaining What Sustains Us
D’Puglia, in collaboration with PUGLIESSER, is launching an open call for emerging artists, designers, and illustrators in Puglia to explore the theme of Wonder—inspired by the Adriatic Sea and its vital role in our shared cultural and environmental heritage.
As part of our commitment to fostering youth leadership and sustainability in the region, this initiative will highlight the power of creative expression in raising awareness about ocean and sea conservation, responsible tourism, and the preservation of marine ecosystems. Selected works will be featured in global and local activations, inspiring change through art and community engagement.
Submission Deadline: May 1, 2025
Opportunities for Selected Works:
UN Peace Boat NYC (October 2025) – Selected works may be showcased aboard Peace Boat’s UN Gathering in New York, bringing global attention to Puglia’s creative dialogue with ocean conservation.
D’Puglia Youth Initiative – Puglia Activation – Winning artworks will serve as inspiration for a youth-led campaign advocating for beach clean-ups and environmental stewardship. This initiative includes:
Collaborations with local lidos, municipalities, and artisans to create ceramic pledge plaques installed at public and private beach entrances.
Development of pledging terms incorporating beach clean-ups, youth gatherings, and educational programs to promote ocean literacy.
D’Puglia Miami Program – A limited selection of artworks will be featured in the D’Puglia Miami Program, with the potential for inclusion in a capsule merchandise collection.
D’Puglia 2026 Youth Leadership Program – Proceeds from merchandise sales will directly support this initiative, empowering young leaders dedicated to sustainability and cultural preservation.
How to Apply:
Artists, designers, and illustrators are invited to submit their works digitally.
Submissions should include a brief artist statement explaining how the piece aligns with the theme of Wonder and ocean heritage.
Application details and submission form - CLICK APPLY BUTTON BELOW
2025 Theme - Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us
Date: Celebrated on Sunday 8 June 2025
The ocean is our world’s greatest wonder, a seemingly endless source of sustenance, potential, wisdom, and awe. From the marine life that produces our oxygen, medicines and food, to its natural infrastructures that sequester carbon and buffer shores, every diverse element of the ocean - across both its biodiversity and composition - supports humanity in a multitude of ways. But instead of acting with appreciation and amazement towards the ocean, we have acted with ignorance and greed. Despite countless warnings, we have knowingly depleted its abundance, polluted its depths, and devastated the ecosystems that we depend on as well as those were yet to discover. We can no longer take the ocean for granted. It is critical that we mobilize all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean so that future generations can have the chance to revel in its wonders, instead of wondering what’s been lost. This World Oceans Day, we celebrate the ocean’s essential wonder from all of the wonders it consists of to the wonder it ignites, and call on decision-makers to honor the ocean’s wonder when determining its fate. Because if the warnings haven’t motivated us to protect the ocean, its wonder is what will.