The deteriorating mural on James Street South is in need for a makeover.

Luckily for the crumbling wall, the final stage of the James Street South Mural Public Art Project is fast approaching as the chance for citizens to cast a vote for one of the six finalists comes to an end this weekend.

The city of Hamilton put out a call for solo or groups of artists to submit their mural ideas last fall for a chance to win a $4,000 prize and a spot for the new mural piece.

Instead of using paint this time, the city will be installing the artists work on aluminum panels as an alternative method says Ken Coit, the city's program manager of public art and projects tourism & culture division.

"The mural will stay more stable and last almost 8-10 years," said Coit, "When you paint on concrete you can see damage after one season from salt and water getting splashed into it."

However, for Hamilton born and raised artists Vivian Rosas and Vensa Asanovic, potentially winning the mural competition means more then just the exposure and prize.

"Hamilton has really changed a lot especially from the Hamilton we knew so well," said Rosas.

The mural "Gateway" by Hamilton-born artists Vivian Rosas and Vesna Asanovic is in the final stages of the James Street South Public Art Mural Competition. (Vivian Rosas, Vesna Asanovic)

"It really seems like its grown and become a rich, vibrant city and has more to offer in terms of art and culture," said Rosas. "It also was really important for us to do this because we are both children of immigrants."

Close-up details of Vivian Rosas and Vesna Asanovic's mural "Gateway." (Vivian Rosas, Vesna Asanovic)

The six finalists were chosen by an expert panel from 31 submissions. The final decision will be made through of citizen voting and an appointed jury.

Hamiltonians can head to hamilton.ca to vote for their favourite. Here's a look at the six final projects.

Voting closes on Mar. 18.

Hidden Time- Alex McLeod

Alex McLeod's mural Hidden Time features earth-tones and orange hues as it captures the organic side of the Niagara escarpment.

Alex McLeod's mural "Hidden Time." (Alex McLeod )

Untitled- Coloma Art and Design

Coloma Art and Design's mural Untitled mashes together old and new themes of Hamilton by using vivid colours and fonts.

Coloma Art and Design's mural "Untitled" is one of the six finalist in the James Street South Mural Art Project Competition. (Coloma Art and Design )

Excavation- Dave Kuruc, Lisa Pijuan-Nomura, Brian Kelly, and Elijah Nolet

​Excavation includes layers of Hamilton's history and stories through vivid colours, textures, and pop-art styles.

Dave Kuruc, Lisa Pijuan-Nomura, Brian Kelly, and Elijah Nolet mural "Excavation." (Dave Kuruc, Lisa Pijuan-Nomura, Brian Kelly, and Elijah Nolet)

Timelines- Natalie Hunter

Timelines is a photo-based installation that explores memory, time, and space within Hamilton's geographical and urban landscapes.

The first panel of Natalie Hunter's mural "Timelines" a photo-based installation. (Natalie Hunter)

Vermillion Sands- Jacqui Oakley and Jamie Lawson

Vermillion Sands mixes dynamic backgrounds with vivid colouring, patterns, and textures to capture the concept of change.

"Vermillion Sands" is a colourful mural created by Jacqui Oakley and Jamie Lawson. (Jacqui Oakley, Jamie Lawson)

Gateway- Vivian Rosas and Vensa Asanovic

​Gateway captures the idea of Hamilton is home to everyone with a simple colour pallet and bold lines.