The Greater Augusta Arts Council presented the final results of the public voting for the four finalists in the James Brown Mural competition on March 17, 2020. After thousands of votes Cole Phail from Appling, Georgia won with the most votes for his piece titled “The Spirit of Funk”.
 
Phail used a variety of art styles including realism, graphic, and impressionistic and packed his imagery with the lyrics of James Brown’s greatest hits and his various nicknames and titles. He said he wanted  the viewer to experience everything that made James Brown a legend and to discover something new every time they pass by the mural. The dominant image is of Brown wearing a colorful cape from the unforgettable, one-of-a-kind routine he made famous early in his career while the crowning graphic around his head contains his iconic catchphrase, “I Feel Good” and is the theme for this mural.  The stained glass graphics behind the young James Brown represents how he got his start in a gospel quartet and later earned him the title The Godfather of Soul and Soul Brother #1.
 
Results of online public voting were Adeana Berry’s “Mr. Dynamite, James Brown and the Iconic Cape”  - 23%, Ray Harvey’s "Get On Up!" - 32%, Cole Phail’s “The Spirit of Funk” - 35%, and Salonika Rhyne’s "The Soul of Augusta" - 10%.
 
The new public art has been made possible through a grant from the Augusta Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, with a 25% matching fund component from City of Augusta.  Administered by Greater Augusta Arts Council, as the public art agency for the City of Augusta.