“On the Steps of Saint Ann’s: A Collection of Photos from The Feast 2001-2022 by Bob Delevante”

Bob Delevante will astound you with his artistic versatility. He is a renowned photographer, illustrator, designer, guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. In all of his art forms, Bob is a storyteller who captures glimpses of everyday life with sensitivity and lyricism.

Growing up in Rutherford, NJ, Bob was first exposed to the arts through his family. His Great Uncle Sidney Delevante was an abstract painter and illustrator who taught at Cooper Union. Bob felt a special connection with him from an early age. Bob enjoyed drawing as a child, and was encouraged by his Great Uncle Sidney to nurture his own creative practice.

The Delevante creative lineage continued when Bob later went on to study Communication Design at Parson School of Design, where he also minored in photography. At the same time, Bob pursued a music career by teaming up with his brother Mike to form a bluegrass band called Wreckless Abandon.

When Bob first drove through Hoboken, he knew he wanted to live there. Delevante settled in Hoboken in 1981, living in an apartment near Church Square Park. He was drawn to our city’s thriving arts and music scene, especially the iconic club Maxwell’s. Here he found a supportive network of creatives who buoyed and inspired him.

Delevante lived in Hoboken until 1993, when he moved with his family to Nashville, Tennessee. There he runs a creative studio, producing exemplary work that includes portraits, illustrations, and package design for clientele, including Tyler Childers, John Prine, and most recently, Hoboken Farms. Delevante has earned over 30 ADDY awards, an AIGA award, been published in the pre-eminent Communication Arts, Print magazine, Create Magazine and Black and White Photography magazine. He’s also been featured in numerous books about graphic design and photography.

Bob’s music career is equally illustrious. The Delevantes, which he started with his brother Mike, was the first band not on a major label to achieve a #1 album on the Americana charts. Bob and his brother Mike have performed with the likes of Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, and John Prine, among other amazing musicians. Bob has released three music albums entitled Porchlight (1999), Columbus and the Colossal Mistake (2006), and Valley of Days (2016).

The Hoboken Historical Museum is proud to feature “On The Steps of St. Ann’s: A Collection of Photographs from The Feast 2001-2022 by Bob Delevante” in the Upper Gallery. This exhibit is a retrospective of 16 black and white and color photographs documenting the extraordinary traditions associated with the Saint Ann Feast, from the zeppole stands, festive decorations, and throngs of visitors overtaking 7th and Jefferson Street. Bob Delevante captures Hoboken’s continued connection to Monte San Giacomo, and the way the stars shine right here in this little town of ours, especially during The Feast.

Delevante shares: “The beer garden in the courtyard behind the church and streets surrounding St. Ann’s never seem to change. There are always some new faces but many of the old regulars as well. The sausage and pepper sandwiches, cold beer, and zeppoles never seem to change! Some of my photographs were taken in 2001, and then periodically right up through this last Feast. You’d be hard-pressed to tell one year from another. And that’s why I love going back there-Hoboken will always be the little town I left many years ago, at least for that week in July.”

“On The Steps of St. Ann’s: A Collection of Photographs from The Feast 2001-2022 by Bob Delevante” will be on display from July 21-August 25, 2024. All are invited for the Opening Reception on Sunday, July 21 from 2pm-5pm at HHM. As part of the exhibit, HHM will produce an online Artist Talk with Bob Delevante and HHM Director Bob Foster on Monday, July 22 at 7pm, which will be livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook. A special thank you to the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development for supporting this exhibit.