Spirit Wings: Tales Told in Color
curated by: Yana Mikho-Misho
April 18 – June 14, 2026
Sylvia Munodawafa, Dinara Mirtalipova
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 18, 12 – 3pm
Spirit Wings: Tales Told in Color is a vibrant, immersive dialogue between two contemporary folk artists, inviting visitors to explore the soul of Nature through story, symbol, and imagination. This exhibition brings together the sculptural mask work of Sylvia Munodawafa and the narrative illustrations of Dinara Mirtalipova, uniting their visual languages to celebrate natural, cultural, and historical narratives.
Sylvia’s African-inspired masks and paintings draw from the cultural landscapes of her Zimbabwean heritage, where bold color and expressive form reflect themes of ancestry, spirituality, and identity. Her sculptural works evoke guardians, spirits, and storytellers rooted in the rhythms of nature.
Dinara’s richly patterned illustrations are inspired by traditional fairytales and folk art. Working in gouache, pencil, and printmaking, she creates imaginative worlds filled with symbolic animals, enchanted forests, and vibrant landscapes.
This exhibition is a dialogue, a celebration of how diverse cultural lenses perceive, honor, and narrate the soul of the natural world.
Sylvia’s African-inspired masks and paintings draw from the cultural landscapes of her Zimbabwean heritage, where bold color and expressive form reflect themes of ancestry, spirituality, and identity. Her sculptural works evoke guardians, spirits, and storytellers rooted in the rhythms of nature.
Dinara’s richly patterned illustrations are inspired by traditional fairytales and folk art. Working in gouache, pencil, and printmaking, she creates imaginative worlds filled with symbolic animals, enchanted forests, and vibrant landscapes.
This exhibition is a dialogue, a celebration of how diverse cultural lenses perceive, honor, and narrate the soul of the natural world.
Opening Reception:
Saturday, April 18, 12 – 3pm
Saturday, April 18, 12 – 3pm
Gallery Hours:
Saturday & Sunday, 11am – 3pm
Saturday & Sunday, 11am – 3pm
Cuyahoga National Valley Park
1565 Boston Mills Rd., Peninsula, OH
Parking is available at the Boston Mill Visitor Center at 6947 Riverview Rd.
or Boston Trailhead at 1508 Boston Mills Rd.
1565 Boston Mills Rd., Peninsula, OH
Parking is available at the Boston Mill Visitor Center at 6947 Riverview Rd.
or Boston Trailhead at 1508 Boston Mills Rd.
- Sylvia MunodawafaartistSylvia Munodawafa's African-inspired abstract paintings and sculptural masks draw from the rich cultural landscapes of her heritage, where color becomes both emotional language and spiritual energy. Her work honors ancestral wisdom and explores African spirituality through forms that bridge abstraction and tradition. The masks, in particular, embody the presence of the past within the present—suggesting guardians, spirits, and storytellers shaped by nature’s rhythms. Through bold color and expressive form, Munodawafa invites viewers to encounter identity as something deeply rooted in land, lineage, and collective memory.
- Dinara MirtalipovaartistDinara Mirtalipova's narrative-driven illustrations bring folklore to life through intricate patterns, bright primary colors, and handcrafted techniques inspired by classic fairytales and folk traditions. Working primarily in gouache, pencil, and printmaking, her imagery evokes enchanted forests, symbolic animals, and mythic journeys—visual stories where nature becomes a stage for wonder, resilience, and moral reflection. Her work connects contemporary audiences to the timeless language of storytelling, where flowers, birds, and landscapes carry cultural meaning and emotional depth.
- Yana Mikho-MishocuratorYana Mikho-Misho is a Cleveland-based curator, art director, and artist working across photography, printmaking, and mixed media. With more than a decade of experience in nonprofit arts organizations, her practice bridges curatorial vision, exhibition production, and artist support across local, national, and international contexts. She served for over five years as Art Director at Future Ink Graphics (FIG), where she shaped the organization’s visual identity and led exhibition and community-centered programming. Earlier, she worked with Zygote Press, supporting exhibitions, arts administration, and internationally recognized residency programs.
CVNP+MoCHA partnership:
The Conservancy for CVNP is a non-profit organization created to engage public support for the park and provide services to enhance public use and enjoyment of the park. The Conservancy aspires to engage the public as advocates, volunteers, and philanthropic supporters to ensure that Cuyahoga Valley National Park achieves its full benefit to the citizens of Northeast Ohio and the nation.
The Conservancy for CVNP is a non-profit organization created to engage public support for the park and provide services to enhance public use and enjoyment of the park. The Conservancy aspires to engage the public as advocates, volunteers, and philanthropic supporters to ensure that Cuyahoga Valley National Park achieves its full benefit to the citizens of Northeast Ohio and the nation.
Gallery Hours:
Saturday & Sunday, 11am – 3pm
Saturday & Sunday, 11am – 3pm
Cuyahoga National Valley Park
1565 Boston Mills Rd., Peninsula, OH
1565 Boston Mills Rd., Peninsula, OH