Whale of a dispute

The California Coastal Commission is moving to change its “whale tail” specialty license plate after Wyland, the artist who designed the original plate, pulled the plug on its use.

Wyland, through his attorney, issued a 30-day notice to the commission demanding the image be withdrawn after the commission refused a demand to give the Wyland Foundation 20% of the proceeds from sales of the plate.

Wyland is a hugely successful marine artist whose career began in Laguna Beach.

Commission Executive Director Peter Douglas said talks between the artist and the state failed to bear fruit.

“We are shocked and saddened by this dispute,” Douglas said Wednesday. “The commission is moving forward with a new design, but it is important for California motorists to know that the program will continue in the meantime. People can still order Whale Tail license plates, and keep the ones they have. Their fees will continue to fund the Whale Tail Grant Program and other worthwhile environmental protection programs, and nonprofits and public agencies can still apply for those funds.”

Douglas said the Whale Tail license plate has been a money-maker for the commission, and is the fastest-selling license plate in the DMV’s roster of specialty plates. Since the license plate started selling in 1996, 126,000 have been issued. The plates cost $50 more than regular license plates and must be renewed at a cost of $40 to $70 every year.

Feels ‘bullied’ by commission

Wyland was emotional at his first-ever press conference Wednesday morning in his Laguna Beach studio as he accused the commission of “bullying” him over his request for a portion of proceeds from the sale of the popular “whale tail” license plate he designed.

With the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop, Wyland said he has revoked permission — a 12-year-old oral agreement — allowing the state to use the image on special California license plates to raise money for environmental programs.

Wyland held up a giclee image of a whale’s tail disappearing into a misty ocean that was the original image used on the license plate.

“It’s saddened me that we couldn’t partner,” Wyland told a phalanx of TV reporters and other press crowded into his ocean-view studio. “I’m so angry about it.”

The artist also called for an audit of how money from the license plate sales is being spent.

“To date, $40 million has been raised from the whale plate, and it’s reasonable that a portion should be directed to the Wyland Foundation,” said Steve Creech, project director for the Foundation.

The Wyland Foundation, based in Aliso Viejo, conducts marine educational and artistic programs around the world.

The foundation is planning to partner with the Scripps Oceanographic Institute on a project Wyland hoped would be funded by the Whale Tail license plate proceeds.

Wyland claims the commission gives Whale Tail proceeds to other groups, but refused his request for funds.

The commission’s website touts the license plate for its design “by prominent environmental artist Wyland.”

Image ‘gifted’ to the state

Douglas said Wyland “gifted” the image to the state in the mid-1990s at the request of someone working with the commission on a license plate fundraising program. In return for allowing the state to use the image, Wyland requested his signature appear on every license plate.

“We advertised his brand in so many ways, it’s been invaluable to him as he built his business,” Douglas said. “I hope he changes his mind and agrees to let the state have [the image] in perpetuity.”

In the meantime, efforts are under way to obtain a new Whale Tail image to replace the Wyland image. This time, a written contract with the artist will be obtained, Douglas said.

“We took him [Wyland] at his word, and we have learned our lesson,” Douglas said. “We are disappointed that he reneged on his agreement.”

Douglas acknowledged that Wyland’s foundation was turned down multiple times in its request for grant money from the license plate proceeds.

The organization obtained $20,000 in 2005.

“The Wyland Foundation is indistinguishable from Wyland himself,” Douglas said.

“We talked to them about a grant, but then Wyland demanded 20%, or $3.7 million,” Douglas said.

“That’s like asking for the entire amount that the commission receives from the program.”

Douglas said his agency splits the proceeds with the DMV and the State Resources Agency as well as the Coastal Conservancy. “We get one-third of the amount,” he said.

New sculpture project

Wyland says his foundation needs money to push ahead with its newest project — to put marine life sculptures into 100 cities over the next 25 years.

Wyland will soon complete his first global art project — launched from Laguna Beach in 1981— to paint 100 “whaling wall” murals all over the world.

The 100th mural will be painted in Beijing, China, on July 7, in conjunction with the 2008 Olympics.

“I have been asking them [the Coastal Commission] for years for money [from the license plate] and they snubbed their nose at me,” Wyland said. “I offered to let them keep 80% of the proceeds and give us 20%.”

Wyland has closed two of his three galleries in Laguna Beach over the past year, and now has only one gallery in the city, at 509 S. Coast Hwy.

During the press conference, Attorney Robert Helfing said that Wyland owns the rights to the license plate design and can withdraw its use at any time.

CINDY FRAZIER is city editor of the Coastline Pilot. She can be contacted at (949) 494-2087 or cindy.frazier@latimes.com.