Behind papered-out windows in downtown Whangarei 10 volunteers chatter enthusiastically about how they can cajole everyone they know - from friends to their doctors - into supporting the Hundertwasser Art Centre.
The so-called Hundertwasser HQ in James St is reopening tomorrow and is symbolic of the slick, volunteer-run operation tobuild the new centre atop the Old Harbour Board building at the Town Basin.
"We really like this figure," said HQ manager Jenny Hill, pointing to a chart showing that project campaigner Prosper Northland Trust already had 36 per cent of the total $15.8million needed to build the centre.
A promotion called "Hundertwasser for the price of a cup of coffee" is the newest idea, with the option of a drip-feed donation each week for up to four years, which fundraising adviser Clive Jackson said was less daunting than forking out a few thousand dollars in one go.
Tutukaka artist Carolyn Radford has created a huge fundraising gauge plastered across one wall of HQ to track donations.
Another local artist, Bridget Oakley Stevens, has created a 2.4sq m Tree of Life featuring hundreds of leaves and flowers, designed to recognise donors who give more than $100, acknowledging their names in gold on a leaf or flower.
Te Kakano (The Seed), an eight-metre pilot building created so local craftspeople can master the techniques required for the project, is set to pop up at Whangarei's Town Basin early next year.
Hundertwasser HQ will kick back into action at 10.30am tomorrow with live music and art displays.
