“Rebel Returns” begins Dec. 18 at the Deines Cultural Center with an opening reception from 2 to 4 pm.  The show runs through February 12.
“Rebel Returns” is a multi-media exhibit of the work of Rebel Jay, former Russell art teacher and several Colby artists. The show is mix of materials ranging from traditional oil and acrylic paintings and bronze sculptures to mosaics, found objects and bubble gum.
At Cloud County Community College, Rebel Jay majored in visual art, transferred to Kansas State University in commercial design, and finished with a B.A. in Art Education from Fort Hays State University. She taught middle school art at Ruppenthal Middle School in Russell, and has been teaching at Colby Community College since August 2008. She finds that no matter the age, teaching art is a new experience everyday and learning osmosis goes both ways:  teacher to student/student to teacher.
Jay enjoys a variety of mediums and finds it almost impossible to create a composition totally of one medium; it’s usually mixed and varied to show influence in some way of her favorite artists, Van Gogh, O’Keefe, Rodin, and Moore.
“Rebel Returns will also have work by artists Margaret Denneler, Marlene Carpenter, and Mark Carlton, Colby.
Marlene Carpenter is a retired bank teller and works as a free lance artist. Carpenter is known as the “Sunflower Lady” and paints sunflowers on birdhouses, mailboxes and ostrich eggs which she sells through her website. She also enjoys painting landscapes and portraits and will be bringing her oil paintings to the Russell exhibit.
Mark Carlton adds three-dimensional work to the exhibit with his bronze sculptures.
Carlton has been a pastor for 36 years, now serving as pastor of the Berean Church in Colby. He began to show a talent for art at a very early age. For a time he specialized in oil miniatures. He began sculpting about 10 years ago, after winning a number of sand-sculpting competitions. After three years the quality of his work had progressed to the point that he was allowed to show his work at the Loveland Sculpture show. He finds that he loses all track of time when he is shaping a lump of clay into a work of art.     
Several of Rebel Jay’s current students, Gatlin Reichert, Oberlin; Jacqueline Shandy, Goodland; Ashton Domsch, Brewster; and Bryan Ayala, Topeka  will be represented in the show along with former student, Brittaney Bange, currently at Fort Hays State University.