by Anna-Maria Goossens

Donna Estabrooks admits that she is only an occasional coffee drinker, "not one of those can't-live-without-a-cup people."

However, Bart's Homemade, the local restaurant which has commissioned designs and most recently a mural from her, is increasingly becoming known for the fact that it offers a really good cup of Java.

During a discussion on the subject with Bart's owners Barbara and Gary Schaefer, Estabrooks, who last year created a cow-themed art show for the restaurant, suggested that the time was right for another theme show, this one based around coffee and tea.

Thus was born "The Art of a Good Cup," which features an eclectic collection of paintings, drawings and ceramic pieces by Estabrooks and other artists.

The artists displaying work are Estabrooks, Paula Gottlieb, Ann Marie Zanfagna, Pamela Stabile, Cynthia Miller and Kym Stromberg.

The latter four are members of the creativity class Estabrooks' teaches at her Florence studio on Saturdays. The class, which aims to help people get in touch with their creative instincts through visual art, includes professionals and people with little artistic experience. During one of the classes, Estabrooks put the group to the task of creating coffee and tea-themed works. Those who wanted to put their work on display at Bart's.

Gottlieb's participation is serendipitous. She happened to be in Bart's when Estabrooks was working on the exhibit there. Estabrooks invited Gottlieb to add her work to the show, if she had any that fit the theme.

Although the exhibit's theme is cups of tea and coffee, don't expect to see a mere parade of cups and mugs. The theme is taken up in various media, with various spins on the classic cup. While some artists have featured the mug at center stage, others make the viewer work to catch the reference.

Either way, the works will serve a purpose at Bart's: They give customers something new to look at while they're standing in line waiting for their own cup - of coffee that is.

The show will be on display until July 21. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m.-midnight Saturdays and Sundays. There's no charge to view the exhibit (although the Schaefers would probably like it if you bought a cup of coffee).