On Friday, February 17th, guest composers Orlando Garcia, Professor of Music at FIU and a Latin Grammy Nominee, and Lansing D. McLoskey, Associate Professor of Music at UM, join Ensemble members, Dr. Jose R. Lopez, piano, Ross Harbaugh, cello, Scott Flavin, violin, and Laura Wilcox, viola, in the performance of "Rainbow of Composers."

Saturday, February 18th is a complete art and music "Emergination." The day begins with the Book Nook by the Bay with arts, crafts and readings for children. In the Carriage House art studios, photographer in Residence Thomas Daniel leads an Art Take Away Workshop, where visitors are invited to use their cameras, tour the Estate, and find inspiration to create their own masterpieces.

In the Stone House Ballroom, South Florida's young virtuosi perform musical vignettes, from eternal classics by Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin to contemporary tunes by the Beatles and jazz. The musicians represent The Greater Miami Youth Symphony, U.M. Frost School of Music's young string and woodwind ensembles, and FIU School of Music's young and upcoming pianists.

Throughout the day and into the night, visual art and performance collaborations can be seen inside the historic buildings as curator Dominique Breard, Program Director of LegalArt, opens an exhibition of paintings, drawings, mixed media and sculpture by the Artists in Residence from each of the LegalArt and Deering Estate residency programs. The participants from the Deering Estate are: Lucas Blanco (visual), Deena Blazejack (literary), Bernadette Denoux, (visual), Christina Petterssen (visual), Lucinda Linderman (visual), Aurora Molina (visual) and Thomas Daniel (visual).

In addition, Ralph Provisero, Special Projects Curator, has gathered this community's notable artists including: Bhakti Baxter, Cheryl Pope, Clifton Childree, Felecia Chizuko Carlisle, Frances Trombly, Jason Hedges, Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova, Michael Loveland, Rene Barge, Robert Chambers, Wendy Wischer and William Cordova. Along with the outdoor site-specific installations, the evening offers guests an opportunity to meet all of the artists and curators, and one-night only art events on the main grounds of the Estate. A special alternate cinema project by artist Dinorah De Jesus Rodriguez is planned.
 
For those who love to hear true accounts filled with cliff-hanging suspense, murder and intrigue, join Rocky McGiboney for Icon of a Moment, on Wednesday, February 22nd when he shares incredible stories from his newly released book, The International Safe Cracker. Mr. McGiboney is the Estate's very own safe-cracker, because it is he, who opened the Prohibition era wine cellar safe, in the summer of 1985, after it had been sealed for decades. A book signing and a tour of the wine cellar follow the author's presentation.

On Thursday, February 23rd, Jennifer Tisthammer, Deering Estate at Cutler's Assistant Director, facilitates a Curator's Tour with Guest Curator Dominique Breard and Special Projects Curator Ralph Provisero.

In collaboration with the Greater Miami Youth Symphony (GMYS) and their Executive Director Dr. Melissa Lesniak, extraordinarily gifted youth musicians compete in Symphony and Concert Orchestra pieces at the Instrumental Concerto Competition on Saturday, February 25th in the historic Stone House Ballroom. A winner and honorable mention is selected for each division - the Symphony Orchestra and Concert Orchestra. The musicians are competing for the opportunity to perform a concerto with one of the orchestras at the GMYS Season Gala concert, at FIU Performing Arts Center in the spring of 2012.

The SoBay Festival of the Arts wraps up on Sunday, February 26th with the "South Florida One-Minute Play Festival" featuring local playwrights and actors in short-form performances, each less than sixty-seconds, by some of the most exciting emerging and established writers in American Theatre. ?The One-Minute Play Festival (OMPF) is an NYC-based theatre company, founded by director Dominic D'Andrea.

For more information on SoBay Festival of the Arts, a complete schedule of events and tickets call the Deering Estate Ticket Office at 305-235-1668 x 233 or visit Deering Estate 

About the Deering Estate at Cutler
The Deering Estate at Cutler, a Miami-Dade County Park, is located at 16701 SW 72 Avenue in Miami. This 444-acre natural and archeological preserve and historic site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as a center for education, culture and recreation. Historic house tours are offered daily at 10:30 am & 3:00 pm. Natural areas tours are offered daily at 12:30 pm (October - May). EcoAdventure Tours are also offered throughout the year for an additional fee. For more information on the Deering Estate's educational and cultural programs, please visit Deering Estate.