Pam Ellis is known to whip up press releases for the events that Rangeley Friends of Arts puts on. She can give each release just the right touch to attract people to the group’s performances and events because she is also a singer and a dancer and an artist and an actress.

Name: Pam Ellis (artist name: Pamela Jo Ellis at www.pjellisart.com)

Town: Rangeley

Job: Administrative coordinator for the Rangeley Friends of the Arts, independent graphic designer, artist and dance instructor/artistic director for the Lakeside Dance Academy

How did you get involved in Rangeley Friends of the Arts? This organization is a natural extension of my interest in dance, music and art, and they’ve been around a long time. As a high school student in Rangeley I first displayed my artwork at the Rangeley Friends of Arts Sidewalk Art Show in 1976. I cut my teeth on stage in RFA-sponsored productions. Later I volunteered to be on the board, and back in the 1980s I was the first paid staff due to a grant we received. I find myself back in this same position years later because the job opened up at an opportune time for me. And now that the RFA owns the Lakeside Theater, the work has really grown in scope and expectations. It’s an exciting time for the RFA.

What led you to be an artist and a dance teacher (and the other artistic fields you ventured into?) Thanks to my mother, Barbara (Ellis) Meservey, who was a trained soprano and got all of us kids involved, I have always loved theater, dance and music. She started me in ballet at the Academy of Performing Arts in Orleans, Massachusetts, in 1965. I danced throughout school and college with the Colby Dancers and choreographed student theater productions. I have choreographed on and off for the Rangeley Friends of Arts productions since 1985, and have also taken turns in the chorus and have had a few lead roles. I sang with the chorus in high school and made it to All State in 1977, and sang in the Colbyettes, a college a cappella group. Now I sing with the Rangeley Community Chorus and the PEPS, a four-woman barbershop-type group. Mom was also a painter, and taught me how to “see” — encouraging me as an artist. I have always been drawn to the freshness of watercolors, and after getting a degree in art at Colby College, my inspirations are Homer, Parrish and Vermeer.

What is your favorite genre? I truly can’t choose between dancing and singing harmony — both are like breathing to me.

What goes into writing press releases to advance performances? I try to stick with the who, what, when, where format so that people will get all the basic info first, and then find a few quick sentences that will pique interest as well as give the reader a real feel for what the event is about. Finding a great photo and writing a catchy caption is also key.

How many people are involved in the Rangeley Friends of Arts? The board is a working board of 15 people all very active on committees and projects. Volunteers, which include performers, musicians, tech people, artists, board members and general staff volunteers, number from 150 to 300 in any given year, depending on what projects we have going.

What has been your favorite part of being a volunteer for the arts group? The best part is working with creative and energetic people, having fun while working toward a goal they believe in, whether it be a community theater production, chorus concert, the summer concert series, Art in August, the Home Tour, school programs and productions or any of the many other events and programs the Rangeley Friends of Arts supports.