The debate about whether Des Moines is dead rages on, but Ames is alive and bursting with on-stage talent at the first annual Art Burst festival.

“Art Burst is a smorgasbord [of the arts] … there’s a little bit of everything,” said Ronnie Lindeman, coordinator of the show and vice-president of the Ames Community Arts Council .

Lindeman said 11 different groups will perform in the variety show. Each group will have about 10 minutes “to do their own thing.”

One part of the show will be an excerpt from “Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead” performed by Marty Ellenberger. The play is part of an ACTORS winning entry in a community theater competition.

“[The play] is a series of monologues,” Ellenberger said. “I’m doing one of the milder ones. It’s an interesting little piece. … It just has to speak for itself.”

Cast members from Stars Over Veishea and Iowa State Theater’s production of “Bye Bye Birdie” also will perform at the event. They will be doing a short scene from the musical, known as the “telephone hour.” Although the cast doesn’t have its real costumes yet, the members will dress in ’50s style.

An important part of Art Burst will be the awards for supporters of the arts. Awards will be given out to supporters for things such as spirit, working behind the scenes and making the best of bad situations. The nominations were open by ballots.

“We had an incredible amount of nominations. It’s an honor just being nominated,” Lindeman said.

This is the first year ACAC will be putting on Art Burst. Lindeman said the show is done as a promotion of the arts as well as a fund-raiser for ACAC.

“We [ACAC] are the advocacy group for all of the smaller art groups, but there are larger groups involved,” Lindeman said.

Lindeman said there will be other arts organizations that aren’t performing at Art Burst, such as the Ames Garden Club.

“It’s going to be a fun, fun show . … The people being awarded have touched a lot of the groups,” Lindeman said.

ACAC will be presenting Art Burst on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Ames City Auditorium. The show includes theater, music, singing and dance. The cost to get into the show is $5.