Immaculate Conception

“Art-lovers ask for amnesty for unauthorized Madonna mosaic”

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/encinitas/article_d2cd5603-3918-56cd-bad1-342bdaeaa72e.html

“Surfing Virgin Mary mosaic attracts admirers, controversy”

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/encinitas/article_a382d79c-1b77-57b1-8a29-f3ce9f95bef3.html

This past week another awesome act of artwork popped up in North County! While unsanctioned (my favorite kind), this piece looked as if it had tons of careful planning and some dollars behind it that would have had to come from the Arts Commission. BUT, alas, it was not an approved work and the artists are still a perfect mystery. The powers that be are denying responsibility, and are now left with some serious decision making on their hands. The Virgin of Guadalupe riding a surfboard, in an effort to “Save the Ocean” has been embraced by its surrounding community, but the council is saying it fits the definition of graffiti, no matter how edifying it is to the city’s landscape, and therefore must be removed. It’s a hard pill to swallow for the art lovers in Encinitas and other cities who have visited the piece in throngs since its installation. Many are now pleading for its amnesty. Every day while drive to my other job in Enci, I pass by the Virgin and see people touching it, taking pictures of it, talking with each other about it, and most recently, leaving flowers at its base in some sort of effort to either pay homage to the Saint herself or express their gratitude for such an “immaculate conception”. It’s been so great to see and hear people engaging in dialogue over artwork, and it would be a shame to have the catalyst for said dialogue removed.

x carissa