It’s always pleasantly surprising how much good the right amount of well-applied paint will do for a place.

Put that paint in the hands of talented artists and the results can be downright delightful. More than a spruce up job on the trim, a well-done mural evokes emotions by not only beautifying a spot but also by making us think – about who we are, where we come from and maybe even about where we are going.

Two places in Lewiston have been the benefactors of such work this month.

The first was the roof of a building off Russell Street which was among those fortunate enough to be chosen by artist Scott LoBaido for a glorious and billowing full-color rendering of Old Glory. LoBaido is out to paint a flag, on one roof in every state in the Union this summer. How lucky for Lewiston he picked a roof here for his work in Maine.

This week we also brought you the news of another remarkable mural done by another artist of national acclaim. This one, a scene from the canals of Venice, by painter Clint Magoon. Magoon’s painting on the side of the well-known eatery, Luiggi’s Pizzeria, on the corner of Sabattus and Horton streets is his first outside work. Again Lewiston is lucky the owners of Luiggi’s decided to invest in such a piece of artwork when they decided to spiff up the place.

If Lewiston is lucky thrice, Magoon will again get the go-ahead for a mural and this one would be a doozy – a 290-foot by 40-foot section of the entry area of the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Birch Street. We hope Magoon will capture much of the history of the storied sports arena.

We believe there are many other places in the Twin Cities that would benefit from paintings like LoBaido’s and Magoon’s.

First off, the wall of the old brick mill building that faces Lewiston’s Railroad Park on the park’s southern side and bordering the path to the pedestrian trestle bridge to Auburn. Our suggestion: An image of the Great Falls Balloon Festival in full flight, as it was last Saturday. Completing the mural in time for next year’s 15th annual festival would be a fitting tribute and great way to celebrate the anniversary of an event, which in many ways marks the start of an ongoing renaissance in the downtown areas of the two cities.

This mural should also celebrate the cities’ history of harnessing the power of the river for industry and reflect on the generations of immigrant laborers whose work and work ethic continue to make these cities our proud homes.

Opposed to the misguided, illegal and $20,000 worth of damaging work wrought by graffiti vandals this week, the work of true artists like Magoon and LaBaido add positively to our experience here in L-A. Their works are gifts to our community meant to lift our collective spirits. They are not monuments to a singular street thug’s ego.

Works like LaBaido’s and Magoon’s evoke our passions beyond the anger, disappointment or frustration we feel when vandals strike with a can of spray paint.

“It’s an awesome thing when an artist can combine not only the visual product but the emotional – something they feel passionate about,” LaBaido told a Sun Journal reporter during his visit here.

We couldn’t agree more.