Surfing Madonna Needs a Miracle

The Surfing Madonna, in Encinitas, CA, was created by Mark Patterson, who now finally claims  his work. Patterson, who quit his day job in order to complete the mural has stepped up in order to help conserve it, since officials want to take it down.


 The coolest part of this story lies in how it was installed onto the side of a train bridge. Guys dressed up in fake construction outfits were able to apply the mosaic with ease, during broad daylight, just before Easter 2011.

Surfing Madonna 

An even more awesome part is that City Council has in fact been trying to preserve the mural by hiring conservationists (definitely not conservatives). The issue is that conservators say that it is pretty impossible to remove the image without destroying it. The negative here is that the City Council spent $2,000 of tax dollar money to learn that the mural would not be able to be taken down without destroying it.


Businesses around town have been collecting donations and have been trying to pool in order to conserve the piece.


Encinitas Mayor James Bond doesn't want to leave it up, according to the Associated Press, because it would encourage others to "graffiti" the town.


Personally the Virgin of Guadalupe riding a surf board, is absolutely brilliant, it was craftily done and is gorgeous.

A petition to save the work has already met its goal of 500 signatures, but for fun if you feel like signing the petition.