Bob Delevante brings old gen quality to new gen media. Working from a studio in Nashvillle’s Hillsboro Village neighborhood, a stones throw from Vanderbilt University, Delevante has created a gallery of powerful images ranging from portraits for countless artist on both the regional and national levels to illustrations for a national Formula 409 campaign to designing and executing CD packaging for recording artist Julie Lee composed of antique quilts.

Along the way Delevante has earned over 30 ADDY awards, an AIGA award, been published in the pre-eminent Print magazine, Communication Arts, Create Magazine and Black and White Photography magazine. He’s been featured in numerous books about graphic design, all the while eventually helping to found the emerging as eminent Local Table magazine. Delevante has well earned his reputation as steward of a small design shop capable of conceiving and executing vibrant big jobs and exquisite small jobs.

All Delevante projects–photography, web design, package design, illustration, song, or jingle, or product branding—feature expert use of modern technologies as well as archaic mechanics (for example letterpress) and crafts (for example patchwork quilting) in a signature mix that creates powerful images of unvarnished and timeless beauty.

Bob Delevante: designer, draftsman, illustrator, photographer, package designer, or songwriter; is a craftsman’s craftsman. What you can’t see is done right. And what you can see is done perfectly-but without affectation. His custom design solutions communicate handcrafted excellence and artisan integrity evolving into the 21st century.

Delevante’s road to his Hillsboro design studio and today had three key stops: Hoboken–where he acquired his hard work, work ethic; Parsons School of Design–where he went to college and developed impeccable photography, drawing, and design skills culminating in early brand defining work for J.Crew; and Europe (performing with Steve Earle, John Prine, and Emmy Lou Harris) where he expanded his visual vocabulary and refined his aesthetic.

By the time Delevante set up his own design shop, he had acquired a visual vocabulary that spans the globe and speaks to business and to art. He has an ability to get down to brass tacks to create visual and word images that resonate with power, intelligence, integrity, elegance, and just a little grit.

Delevante’s studio is behind a beautiful circa 1912 Four-Square where he lives with his wife and their kids. His brother, Mike, lives not far away and heads up a public relations and marketing firm of his own. Sometimes they collaborate on larger projects. As musicians The Delevantes were the first band not on a major label to be on the Americana charts. And they were the first new artist to achieve a #1 Americana album. And they had a #1 CMT Europe video where they charted with the likes of Sting and Shania Twain. And they were voted #1 Rising Stars CMT Europe. If Music Row insiders consider the records he’s produced for the Coal Men, current Americana royalty, yet another example of Delevante being a craftsman’s craftsman, Delevante’s a little less impressed with his own musical prowess.

Delevante loves story telling through visuals on the web, through brands, and in photographs–as much if not more than he loves story telling in songs—though there is a new solo album coming. He loves all the storytelling he can do away from the road near the family. His unpretentious approach in both subject and method make Bob’s songs as well as pictures instantly accessible and keep the emotion in his work honest and true to life.

And that makes him a great guy to have on a design team. He knows how to communicate to center and to the outliers. He’s more than a little of both himself. And he gets stuff done with a fresh vision, on time and on budget.

-Alice Randall