With napkins crumpled over plates and sips of merlot lingering at the bottom of wine glasses, local painters, writers, musical performers and other creative artists chatted up a storm, arms flailing, at the Ames Community Artist’s Night on Thursday.

“The program’s been over [for] 15-20 minutes, and they’re still talking,” says Ames Community Arts Council president Mike Miller. “That’s a success.”

With more than 40 attendees, the artist’s night, held at Lucullan’s Italian Grill, 400 Main St., not only served as an announcement for the Ames Community Arts Council’s developing artist directory, but also opened the door to future meetings between local artists.

They spoke about their families, their careers and their art. The noise of conversation overwhelmed the room.

The program consisted of speakers from various parts of the Ames fine arts community, a reading from distinguished professor of English Mary Swander’s book, “The Desert Pilgrim,” and musical performances by Reggie Greenlaw, 52, of Ames, including a tongue-in-cheek blessing before food was served.

“Believing all soles can be saved, walk from the cradle to the grave with Dr. Scholls,” Greenlaw sang.

When the Ames Community Arts Council and the ISU Center for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities put together the event, it was to announce the Ames artists roster, a binder which will list all registered artists in Ames.

As well as being listed on the organization’s Web page, artists who become members of the Ames Community Arts Council will get a page in the roster listing their name and talents, Miller says. The binder will be mass-produced and given to schools, hotels, and other places that could hire the artists for work.

Thursday, there were so many people that extra chairs had to be pulled in and assembled around the front entrance. Miller says because of the night’s success, there will be a regular monthly or bimonthly meeting for Ames artists.

A formal date for the next meeting has not been announced.

Swander says the meetings will help provide dialogue between artists, get them excited about upcoming events and even provide a starting point for collaborations.

“It should provide a good center of energy in Ames,” Swander says.

Joe Muench, assistant professor of art and design, says the meetings will help create community with all of the artists.

“It’s a very healthy thing, a very necessary thing,” Muench says.