Trinity High School Art Department
Mrs. Malia Bennett
About Me:
I have been teaching Ceramics and Painting at Trinity High School since 2009. Before teaching at Trinity, I spent a year in Museum Education at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art. I have also spent time as a permanent art substitute in the Mt. Lebanon School District.
I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Carlow University with a degree in Art Education and a minor in Theology. Currently I am a MA (Ceramics) candidate at Carlow.
I am a proud member of the Pittsburgh Society of Artists and of the Craftsmans Guild of Pittsburgh. I create my own work out of my home studio and sell functional and sculptural work at local art fairs and galleries as well as through online forums such as Etsy. My sculptural and functional work has been sold and displayed nationally.
I grew up with Art Teacher relatives and knew since I first saw "Little House on the Prairie" that I would teach. I first spent time in Rhode Island working for a scenic company that built and painted sets for off-broadway and touring shows. Painting credits include Cocoanuts, Beauty and the Beast, and Crazy For You.
Interesting Facts:
I am horribly tone deaf
My lasagna and cheesecake will reaffirm your belief in humanity
I am allergic to lions
My favorite animal is the otter
Mr. Jordan Merchant
About Me:
As a McGuffey graduate, I grew up and have lived in this area all of my life. I have been an art teacher at Trinity since 2013. I began my career teaching at the elementary level for the first six years, and then moved up to the high school in 2019. My educational background includes a Bachelor's Degree in Illustration from the Columbus College of Art & Design and a Master's Degree in Art Education from California University of Pennsylvania.
I have known I wanted to work in the visual arts for a long time. I took years of private lessons as an elementary/middle school student and found my greatest strength in drawing from an early age.
Aside from teaching, my personal work has been published several times in editorial publications such as The Pittsburgh Magazine.
When I am not working you will almost always find me enjoying the outdoors. Bow hunting and fly fishing are my two biggest passions. I also love watching and playing sports. The deepest joys of my life come from my walk of faith in Jesus Christ and spending time with my wife Alexis and our two children Easton and Addison.
Interesting facts:
As a child, adults told me I could be anything I wanted to be when I grew up. I chose a dinosaur. They lied to me.
I have literally traveled to the other side of the world.
I've owned 3 motorcycles and a 6' long boa constrictor. As a married man and father I now own neither.
I have had every piece of orthodontic metal imaginable in my mouth, but never a cavity.