An art auction in Whangarei at the weekend raised nearly $50,000 towards funding a biennial gathering of artists in the city.
The Collaborationz event draws artists and artisans from as far afield as Canada, to camp and work together for a week.
Local firms supply some materials, including steel and timber, and the resulting artworks are auctioned to fund the event.
This year's top works fetched more more than $3,000 each which Collaborationz chairman Garth Dobney says is an excellent result given the recession.
