The Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Maori Art Gallery fundraising project needs to find $1.25 million in the next three weeks to reach its funding target.

More than $15 million of the $16.25 million has been raised from individuals and organisations, government departments, community funding agencies and the Lotteries Board.

Recent donations include $100,000 from an anonymous donor and more than $40,000 raised from the arts crowd funding platform Boosted, with Whangarei law firm Henderson Reeves pledging to match it dollar for dollar up to $20,000.

A further $14,000 was raised from the sale of artwork in Auckland.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Project director Andrew Garratt said art shop sales have also spiked and with the imminent release of a new print by Michael Smither, sales were expected to keep climbing.

"This high calibre of support from our local community, nationally recognised artists, politicians, benefactors and art lovers around New Zealand gives me high hopes that we will see this amazing vision of Friedensreich Hundertwasser come to life," he said.

"That being said, we aren't there yet and there's still plenty of work to be done so please do visit www.yeswhangarei.co.nz and see how you can get on board and support the project."

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and Auckland Art Gallery have agreed to loan contemporary works to the gallery for four, three-month long exhibitions a year.