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 to build 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.
