Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing #215 (1973) is a site-specific “location drawing” realized directly on the gallery wall through a set of written instructions. One of roughly 1,350 wall drawing instructions LeWitt produced, the work reflects his belief that the idea behind a work of art is as central as its final appearance. Because each installation responds to the dimensions of a particular space, the drawing is newly executed every time it is presented through careful plotting, drafting, and collaboration among trained installers.

The Block Museum of Art recently completed the first on-site installation of Wall Drawing #215 from its collection. This behind-the-scenes video follows that process, offering insight into the preparation, precision, and teamwork required to realize a LeWitt wall drawing.

“The idea is the artwork. The product that we’re making on the wall right now is secondary. The concept is the art.”
— Lacey Fekishazy, Draftsperson/Lead Installer for the Estate of Sol LeWitt

Lead installer and draftsperson Lacey Fekishazy, working on behalf of the Estate of Sol LeWitt, collaborated with Block preparators Theo Boggs and Willem Siersma throughout the installation. Weeks of surface preparation ensured the wall met the standards required for the drawing, followed by detailed plotting based on LeWitt’s written instructions. Tape and black thread were used to visualize lines and arcs before drawing began, allowing the team to test placement and scale before committing marks to the wall.

As a location drawing, Wall Drawing #215 is shaped by the architecture that contains it. Measuring, interpreting instructions, and translating language into geometry become integral parts of the artwork. This process highlights LeWitt’s conceptual approach, in which authorship expands beyond the artist to include those who execute the work according to his instructions.

Sol LeWitt (1928–2007)
Wall Drawing #215

The location of an arc and not straight line. An arc whose center is located at the midpoint of the left side and whose radius is equal in length to the distance between the point halfway between the midpoint of the left side and the lower left corner and a point where two lines would cross if the first line were drawn from the midpoint of the bottom side to the upper right corner, the second line from the center of the wall and a point halfway between the midpoint of the right side and the lower right corner, drawn from the top part of the left side to the bottom part of the left side. The not straight line drawn from a point halfway between the center of the wall and the upper right corner to a point halfway between the center of the wall and the lower right corner.

Black crayon, black pencil, description
First drawn by: J. Jackson, Sol LeWitt
First installation: Cusack Gallery, Houston, September 1973
Current installation by: Lacey Fekishazy (assistant installer)
Gift of Steven P. Henry and Philip Schneidman, 2021.12

LeWitt’s wall drawings emerged from a shift in postwar art toward conceptual practices that prioritized ideas over the artist’s hand. By creating instructions that others could execute, LeWitt opened authorship to collaboration while also questioning permanence, originality, and artistic authority. This approach gives agency to installers, draftspeople, and technicians who interpret the instructions, ensuring each installation is both faithful to the concept and responsive to its specific environment.

The video highlights how this process creates a unique connection between contemporary installers and the artist. Fekishazy trained with first-generation LeWitt drafters who worked closely with him, continuing a lineage of knowledge that helps preserve the integrity of these works while allowing them to remain dynamic and adaptable.

Wall Drawing #215 invites viewers to look closely not only at the finished drawing but also at the ideas, decisions, and labor that bring it into being. It encourages reflection on process, precision, and collaboration while making visible LeWitt’s enduring belief that the concept is the foundation of the artwork.

The Block Museum of Art is grateful to Steven P. Henry, a member of The Block Board of Advisors, and Philip Shneidman for their generous gift of Wall Drawing #215. The museum also thanks Paula Cooper Gallery and the Estate of Sol LeWitt for their partnership in realizing the installation.

Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing #215 is on view at The Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, through June 14, 2026.