Columbus, Indiana, hale-id.com
Nesci learned his trade working in the furniture restoration department at Wright auction house for five years. Now he’s the designer of furniture editions for galleries like Casati and Volume. 

What is American design to you, and what excites you about it?
Community is the word that I feel encapsulates the current state of American design. So many interconnections: friends, gallerists, fabricators, promoters, writers, curators, collectors, educators and other supporting roles help to make up American design. It’s really all of these people, working together and supporting each other, that have made this period in time such an exciting moment. With social interconnections like Instagram I feel like the design community has a fresh, daily life and we can all support each other and follow individual progressions.

What are your plans and highlights for the upcoming year?
There is a real excitement happening with design in the Midwest. I am really excited to be included in Rick Valicenti’s CHGO DSGN show at the Chicago Cultural Center that opened in May. This exhibition of the best of Chicago Design will be up through November 6th. It is a fantastic snapshot of what incredible talent is in Chicago right now. Another positive happening has been my recent move to culturally rich Columbus, Indiana. This is a fresh start to another chapter in my life and I am really excited to see what type of work stems from this nurturing environment. Christopher West of Indianapolis has been working with the people of Columbus for over a year on a international Design Biennial proposed for 2016. A group of curators and design leaders will pair the new designers of today against the backdrop of the architectural gems found here in Columbus. To pilot this program I will be installing 100 mirror-polished aluminum tables in the sunken courtyard (which was once a reflecting pool) of Eliel Saarinen’s First Christian Church in Columbus this October 10th. These tables will have a life after the exhibition in Columbus as well; they’ll be shown in Chicago, Miami, and New York with Volume Gallery, Casati and Patrick Parrish, respectively.

What inspires your work in general?
I’m constantly searching for fabrication processes that I haven’t used before. I feel this is a key element to what I will do next, managing the process of a new design while using a new process is what I enjoy most. I tour new manufacturers frequently and learn their capabilities. I am not a maker, but I am a producer and enjoy this role of the design process. I work with talented fabricators throughout the Midwest and am really looking forward to the day when more of my work is made in Columbus, Indiana. I want to be free to work on numerous projects at once and also gain partnerships with various makers.