The popular Surfing Madonna mosaic has a new home. But it won't go on display right away.
The Encinitas City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to accept a long term loan of the artwork and place it at the entrance of Moonlight Beach Park. The site is just down the street from its original location.
Artist Mark Patterson first installed the 10-foot by 10-foot mosaic, which features the Virgin of Guadalupe on a surfboard, under a bridge last April without the city's approval.
After much controversy, it was removed.
But the new site is on state property, which means the state must also sign off on the plan.
"We already had a meeting with Assemblyman Martin Garrick and it went well," said Patterson.
Yet, there is no indication of how long it will take for state officials to make a final decision on the site. The State Park's San Diego Coast District is set to take up the proposal.
Either way, it's likely to be more challenging since some critics consider the art work religious.
Patterson, who is not Catholic, has said the mosaic has more of a cultural meaning.
The art piece is currently in storage.
