working title No. 5

A pilgrimage through sacred spaces, profane realities, and everything in between!

exhibition of experimental art+music

MAY 28 - 30, 2026, 6:00 – 9:00 PM → ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CATHEDRAL

Project [BLANK]’s annual exhibition returns to close the season with a festival of innovative local art and music. Our diverse lineup of transborder artists will fill the soaring gothic halls of St. Paul’s Cathedral with bold visual art, multimedia installations, performance art, and live experimental music. This year’s WORKING TITLE fills the soaring gothic halls of St. Paul’s Cathedral with bold visual art, multimedia installations, performance art, and live experimental music from a diverse group of transborder artists.

This year, WORKING TITLE centers on the theme of Sanctuary. What defines a sacred or protected space? What boundaries—physical, social, spiritual—are drawn to offer refuge to those under threat? We invite artists to submit works that engage with sanctuary as a personal experience, a collective practice, an architectural condition, or a political act of resistance.

Anchoring the event is the world premiere of a major new work by San Diego composer Michelle Lou, Excerpts from the Office of the Dead, a mind-melting composition for voices, tubas, pipe organ, and electronics surrounded by three days of new works, installations, and thought-provoking performances from some of the most exciting creative voices in Southern California, Tijuana, and Baja California.

The exhibition is curated by sculptor Diana Benavídez and Artistic Director Leslie Ann Leytham, and artist submissions will be reviewed by a panel of artists: Alessandra Moctezuma, Alvaro Díaz, Cat Gunn, and Luisa Martínez.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, MAy 28

Duo Lingua: Love as Sanctuary, voice, trumpet, electronics

7:00 PM:

Dia Bassett, Jessica Rabanzo-Flores, Demetrius Antuna: Datura, dance, video projection, & playback

7:30 PM:

Michelle Lou: Excerpts from the Office of the Dead (world premiere)
Gabriel Arrequi (pipe organ), Jonathan Nussman (voice), Leslie Ann Leytham (voice), Mattie Barbier (brass), Jonathan Piper (Tuba)

8:00 PM:

FRIDAY, MAY 29

Melissa Achten: HEART SCENES by Marguerite Brown for harp & electronics

7:00 PM:

Don Nichols: Our Intention Driven Anomalies: Copper Tunnels, circuit-bent omnichord

7:30 PM:

Michelle Lou: Excerpts from the Office of the Dead (world premiere)
Gabriel Arrequi (pipe organ), Jonathan Nussman (voice), Leslie Ann Leytham (voice), Mattie Barbier (brass), Jonathan Piper (Tuba)

8:00 PM:

SATURDAY, MAY 30

William Kuo & Julia Anne Cordani: : out of : away : off, for mouth, microphone, loudspeakers

7:00 PM:

Anqi Liu: Sanctuary for a Vanishing Sound, choor khuur & electronics

7:30 PM:

Michelle Lou: Excerpts from the Office of the Dead (world premiere)
Gabriel Arrequi (pipe organ), Jonathan Nussman (voice), Leslie Ann Leytham (voice), Mattie Barbier (brass), Jonathan Piper (Tuba)

8:00 PM:

INSTALLED
WORKS

Angie Jennings: Painted Futures, Performance Art

April Rose: Home Altar, Mixed media sculpture

Armando de la Torre: La Casita, Mixed Media Sculpture, Performance, Video, Sound, Water defender

Carolina Montejo: Dimensions, Video

Claudia Cano: ¿Dónde está Rosa?, Mixed Media Sculpture

Frankie Martin: Angel of Uncertainty, Performance Art

Jaime Leynes: Nuestra Señora de Lakwatsa, Mahal na Birhen ng Lamyerda, Mixed Media Sculpture

Joseph Bourdeau & Ilana Waniuk: Tent, Mixed Media Sculpture

Leila Khalilzadeh Aghdami: Temporary Shelter, Video

Maddie Butler & Joe Cantrell: Retreats, Mixed Media Sculpture

Matthew Hebert: Home Light and Space Depot, Mixed Media Sculpture

Shar Garcia: Behind your fence, Mixed Media Sculpture

Tasia Paulson: Spirits in Waiting, Sculpture

Yerbamala Taller de Arte y Gráfica: Refugio (Shelter),Mixed Media Sculpture

artists

ANGIE JENNINGS

ANQI LIU

music performance

performance art

carolina montejo

claudia cano

video art

sculpture

dance performance

music performance

joe cantrell

jonathan nussman

sculpture

music performance

JONATHAN Piper

julia anne cordani

sculpture

music performance

matthew hebert

mattie barbier

sculpture

music performance

melissa achten

michelle lou

music performance

music performance

waniuk+
bourdeau

william kuo

music performance

sculpture

ARMANDO DE LA TORRE

APRIL ROSE

sculpture

sculpture

don nichols

DIA BASSETT

FRANKIE MARTIN

DUO LINGUA

music performance

performance art

JAIME LEYNES

gabriel arregui

sculpture

music performance

music performance

music performance

leslie ann leytham

Leila K Aghdami

music performance

video

marguerite brown

maddie butler

TASIA PAULSON

shar garcia

sculpture

sculpture

yerbamala Art Collective

sculpture

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