A Leucadia man who created and installed the popular Surfing Madonna mosaic on Encinitas public property will oversee the artwork's removal and pay thousands of dollars in fees, according to an agreement reached with the City of Encinitas announced Tuesday.
Mark Patterson, 58, will retain ownership of the mosaic, which is located on an underpass wall near the corner of Vulcan Avenue and Encinitas Boulevard, and serve as the removal project's technical consultant, as it is disassembled in the same sections as it was originally constructed.
The piece-by-piece extraction will allow Patterson to reinstall the Surfing Madonna at a new location, which he said "has yet to be determined."
"But it is my high priority," Patterson added in a release through his attorney, "to find a new venue within Encinitas and bring the Surfing Madonna and her important message of 'Save the Ocean' back into public view in our community as soon as possible ...
"I promise you, she is not for sale, and she will be coming back as originally intended, as my gift to the community of Encinitas and all who visit here."
According to the released terms of the agreement, Patterson will remove the mosaic with a City-issued permit paid at his own cost. He will also pay for a safety inspection, if necessary, of the bridge underpass as well as any needed repairs determined to be caused by the mosaic's placement or removal.
Patterson must pay $2,125 to reimburse the City's cost for hiring Sculpture Conservation Studio, Inc., which evaluated how to remove the Surfing Madonna without damaging it. Patterson must also pay a $500 administrative fee.
Patterson also agreed not to place any art on public property without the City's permission again.
