Its walls are covered with the art of local artists, all of which is for sale. And if the timing's right, a poetry reading or even a concert will be going on in the small café while the coffee is brewing.

Then there's the ceiling - a painting of a cow replaces a ceiling panel over the cash register.

"We're making Oakville's Sistine Chapel," said a smiling CJ Martin, owner and operator of the Bronte Café, which celebrates its one year anniversary tomorrow (April 12).

"I'm adding one painting a month. This will be that place with the funky ceiling."

So far, Martin's ceiling collection is up to seven.

That's just one more place she can display local artistic talent, one of the major reasons Martin, an artist and poet, opened the café in the first place.

"The Artworks program gives local artist an opportunity to show, but there aren't enough places for artists to show. There aren't enough places for performing arts to get out and perform, entertain," she said, while sipping on a coffee.

"Usually you go to Toronto if you want to hear a singer songwriter. I think there's a bit of a hunger in people to get out and enjoy those things right in Oakville. There's also a need for local musicians, and musicians in general, to get exposure."

A longtime member of the Oakville Arts Council, Martin has no trouble finding artists to hang their work on her walls. Each show lasts one month and the paintings include prices and are ready to be sold then and there.

"I make it really easy for people to purchase. That's one of my priorities," she said.

Whereas art shows at Town Hall or in the Library are valuable to showcase local art, Martin says, "People might be interested in it, but they can't buy it impulsively."

At a recent show, CJ's sold five pieces in five days and earned the artist three commissions. At a student show earlier this year, a 14-year-old sold her first work.

When it comes to the commission she makes off the works, Martin says simply, "It's much cheaper than a gallery, because my bread and butter is actually bread and butter."

Just as it was under the previous owners at 2416 Lakeshore Rd. W., the café is there to satisfy stomachs - CJ's offers a hot, all day breakfast, soups, salads and sandwiches in addition to café mainstays and deserts.

"Were as far into being a restaurant as you can be when you don't have the kitchen facilities right on site," said Martin, who added, "My lattes are the best."

When she opened the doors of CJ's café a year ago, it was the realization of a dream she'd had for years.

"Having a creative restaurant, a creative café, has kind of been popping up in my head since I was 18 years old," said Martin.

"I kind of put my own spin on it to make it explicitly an arts café."

Right now the walls of the café bear a tribute show to Donna Penrice, a local poet and writer who died of leukemia this winter.

On April 29, for poetry month, there will be a reading of a collection of Penrice's poems.

An active member of the poetry community who just published her first book of works, But Tonight, Martin also has no trouble in securing poetry events and poetry cafes in her café.

As for musicians, she's been seeking the help of John Marlatt, owner and operator of the Moonshine Café on Kerr Street, which features live music every night of the week.

Martin has been able to schedule a slew of performers for her newest initiative, the Sunday Singer Songwriter Series. Performers are booked well in advance already for the series, which is designed to bring out local musical talents for Oakville audiences.

These performances happen every Sunday from 12 - 2 p.m., but will not occur in April - the focus is on poetry.

Concerts, poetry readings, art shows - Martin is just getting started.

"I want to keep building it and keep having these creative, cultural events," she said, adding philosophy and Shakespeare discussions are other events she's been considering.

CJ's Café is available for bookings, evening rentals, catering and more. Call 905-465-0411 for details.

Artists interested in showing at her café should email jpegs to cjmartin_artist@yahoo.ca. Singer / songwriters should include a link to their Myspace sites.

For more on CJ's Café, visit www.cjscafeinbronte.com.