Story submitted & Photography by Kristina Only

St. Mary’s School held its 27th Annual Mardi Gras Masquerade Auction on the evening of February 22nd at the Jackson Country Club. The evening began with a silent auction with many notable items including an autographed Donald Trump hat and a Michael Jordan autographed basketball. After the closing of the silent auction, Jared Emerson of Greenville, SC took the stage. Jared is a talented artist and proud Christian who credits his faith for his success. Every stroke and every detail are carried out to glorify God. His work has been featured all over the world, and he has painted portraits of a number of celebrities, musicians, and artists. To the surprise of the crowd, Jared painted Kobe Bryant live on stage. The painting was then auctioned to the highest bidder and the live auction followed.