In May of 2000 Thomas R. Morrison began working with Royal Artists Inc. founder and Mardi Gras impresario Herb Jahncke and a secret influential patron to create a collection of original sculptures and floats that would elevate the annual Krewe of Hermes parade to a tier of creative preeminence unseen in New Orleans since the captivating theatrical tableaus of late 19th Century Carnival.  Enlisting years of impassioned contributions from their most talented float painters, builders, and decorators, they succeeded, earning an unprecedented level of critical acclaim as the city’s definitive “art parade” and historically winning both the Best Overall Parade and the Best Night Parade awards from the Gambit Weekly’s Rex Duke™ for two consecutive years in 2007 and 2008.