Cheryl Palonis Adams

Cheryl founded ArtWorks in 2016, and SmartStart began a few years later. With an inaugural class of 5, we wondered if this idea would really come to fruition--now we have 40 students. Cheryl is grateful for the way this community has embraced our program. 

Cheryl holds a BA  in Humanities and an MFA in Modern Dance. During her career, she taught both Dance and English from middle school through college. Although retired, Cheryl continues to promote Arts in Education.  She is an editor for the journal, Dance Education in Practice, and serves on the Kentuckians for the Arts Education Committee. 

Cheryl loves working with SmarrStart students, teaching dance and creative movement and assisting other teachers in other curricular lessons. She is especially interested in the Reggio-Emilia approach to pre-K education and attended a conference studying the philosophy in Reggio-Emilia, Italy 2026. 

In addition to teaching, she has performed with both the Harbinger Dance Company, the Beth Eliot Dance Company and Southern Maryland Dance. 

Leah Anderson

Leah Anderson is the Program Director of Smart Start. She joined the team in 2021. Ms. Leah is passionate about creating a place where children feel valued and excited to learn. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Midway University and continued her education in Guidance Counseling at the University of the Cumberlands.

Ms. Leah believes the early years should be filled with wonder, creativity, and meaningful relationships. She loves watching children build confidence, feel valued, and explore the arts.

Outside of Smart Start, Ms. Leah enjoys spending time with her family, serving in her church, gardening, and tackling creative projects. As a mother of three, she understands the importance of building a supportive community where children and families feel welcomed, valued, and encouraged.

Whitney Luttrell

Ms. Whitney’s journey with ArtWorks began when her three boys attended camp. After seeing the impact ArtWorks had on her own children, her connection grew, and she was later invited by Mr. Wilkerson to join the program. She spent two years working directly with Smart Start and now specializes in budgeting, community outreach, parent involvement, and marketing management.

Whitney attended Eastern Kentucky University, studying Developmental Psychology with a minor in Paralegal Studies. She has served for many years on school committees, including PTO and SBDM, while helping coordinate and support youth programs throughout the community.

Whitney and her husband, a toxicologist, have three boys—Rayden, Henley, and August, and also own and operate their own business. She is passionate about connecting ArtWorks with families, schools, and the community while helping create meaningful opportunities for children of all children.

Kristina Gil

Ms. Kristina’s journey with ArtWorks first began in 2021 when she sponsored a child for summer camp. Growing up with limited access to the arts, she quickly saw the impact ArtWorks was making in the lives of children and families. Her connection grew from supporter, to student, to parent of an ArtWorks participant, and eventually to a member of the ArtWorks team in 2024 after feeling called to serve its mission.

As a parent, farmer, Army veteran, and lifelong learner with backgrounds in IT, Business Administration, Accounting, and ministry, she brings compassion, integrity, and a commitment to growth. She considers it an honor to support ArtWorks’ mission of creating opportunities for children to belong, be inspired, and discover their potential.

Maleena Robertson

Maleena Robertson believes childhood should be filled with muddy puddles, paint-covered hands, curious questions, and a little everyday magic. For Maleena, 2025 was a year she will always treasure, filled with unforgettable milestones. During that special year, she became part of the amazing ArtWorks/Smart Start family, earned the title “Mrs.” in two meaningful ways by becoming a teacher and marrying her high school sweetheart, Blake, and earned her bachelor's degree in General Studies with emphases in Education and Social Sciences/Humanities and a minor in Psychology.

She loves creating opportunities for children to wonder, imagine, and explore through creativity. One of her favorite Smart Start memories is a rainy day spent splashing in puddles with her students, a reminder that sometimes the very best classrooms don’t have walls. In her free time, Maleena enjoys gathering people together, hosting art classes, cheering on the Kentucky Wildcats with Blake, and traveling.

Maleena adores autumn but starts decorating for Christmas before most people have put away their pumpkins. At home, she and Blake are happily outnumbered by their three fur babies: Zombie, Moon, and Scooby.

Christy Martin

Christy A. Martin began at Artworks in 2025 after 25.5 years as the Russell County 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent. She holds bachelor and master degrees in biology and secondary education, and she also spent 4 years as a high school science teacher in Somerset. She enjoys both visual arts and fiber arts in her spare time and has ten years of education in classical piano. She also enjoys reading novel series and trying new recipes in her kitchen. 

She enjoys watching children learn by exploring their environment and using hands-on learning experiences.

Shayla Brown

Ms. Shayla has been with Artworks since 2025 and has immersed herself in all things Russell County since moving here in 2021. When she isn’t teaching, she is probably planning a trip to the lake, hunting down her next thrifted treasure, or thinking of future art projects!

Shayla has been involved with music throughout her life by singing, playing the trumpet in marching band, and taking many music education courses at Campbellsville University. She is currently working toward her early childhood education degree to learn how to better serve her students and her community, starting from an early age.

Lyndsay Lyon

Mrs. Lindsay Lyon began teaching music in 2012 after earning a Bachelor of Music Education from Samford University. She is passionate about children discovering the joy of music and loves creating engaging experiences that encourage preschoolers to explore, create, and grow.

Mrs. Lindsay believes music is a gift that becomes each child's own personal expression - a language unlike any other - and loves watching children develop confidence as they discover their musical voices.

Outside of the classroom, she enjoys music, going on adventures with her family, and serving her church and community. She is committed to creating a nurturing environment where every child feels valued, inspired, and excited to learn.

Hannah Roberts

Hannah was born and raised in Russell County, Kentucky, and has always had a passion for helping others. While she is a registered radiologic technologist, her true calling has always been in education. As she begins her journey with Smart Start, Hannah is excited to build meaningful relationships with children and be part of an environment where they can learn, grow, and thrive each day.

Currently pursuing her bachelor's degree with the goal of becoming an educator, Hannah is committed to following her passion for teaching young children. She believes every child is uniquely creative and loves how art provides children with the freedom to express their thoughts, emotions, and imagination.

Outside the classroom, Hannah enjoys spending time with her family, especially being a mother, and loves riding horses whenever she has the opportunity. She believes these experiences have strengthened her patience, compassion, and appreciation for the joy of learning through exploration and creativity.

Hannah is dedicated to creating a nurturing and encouraging classroom where every child feels valued, inspired, and excited to learn. She looks forward to helping each child build confidence, discover new talents, and develop a lifelong love of learning.

Sammie Baker

Ms. Sammie is one of our Smart Start teachers here at ArtWorks. She is excited to bring her experience with 4-H and agriculture into the classroom. She has a degree in animal science and has worked on a variety of farms. 

She found her interest in teaching while in college and furthered her knowledge of childhood development while working for her county Extension office in her home state of New York. 

When she's not teaching littles, you can find her hiking with her dogs or curled up with a good book.