Artist CV

 

TEXTILE ARTIST                    KNITWEAR DESIGNER                     COSTUME DESIGNER                     TEACHER




I am a textile artist and designer with 25 years of experience in fiber arts, fashion, and costume design. As the founder and designer of KRELwear, I specialize in engineering knit fabrics that cater to all body types while adhering to sustainable practices. I have taught knitting and crochet to individuals of all ages in school, community and 1:1 settings. My artistic practice involves creating surreal worlds using crochet and knit techniques, often evoking childhood memories. I am recognized for my collaborations with various artists, performers, and creative directors.

 

 

RESIDENCIES

2024                            Stone House Residency, Rogers City, Michigan

2013-15                       Art Center - Miami, Florida; Artist Residency

1993                            Capellagarden - Oland, Sweden; Textiles Residency


AWARDS


2024               Bandshell Laboratories, Rhythm Foundation

2023 & 24       Miami Dade Artist Grant

2022               Knight Arts Champion, Knight Foundation

2021               No Vacancy, Miami Beach Arts & Culture    Grant

2021               Best Fashion Designer, Miami New Times

2019               Principal of the Day, Miami Design and Architecture High School

2011                 Top 30 People in Miami, Miami New Times

2010                 100 Most Creative, Miami New Times

2010                 Best Fashion Designer, Miami New Times

2008                 Sweetest Thing Miami, Daily Candy

2008                 Style Wars – US Champion

2005                 Best Fashion Designer, Miami New Times

2004                 Fresh Faces of Fashion, GenArt Miami

 

COMMUNITY ACTIVATIONS

2024                            “Cosmic Constellation” – Collaboration with Afrobeta we created white pom-poms with our community through several activations at different locations around Miami.  The installation was a sky scape emulating stars and snow during a free show at the Miami Beach Bandshell which was featured in Google’s Super Bowl advertisement promoting 50 non-profits in 50 states. 

 

2017 –25                   “THE INTERKNIT” – An ongoing interactive fiber art installation where the audience is encouraged to add their stitches, creating a real world-wide-web. Since its initial commissioning for the World Happiness Summit in 2017, it has traveled to 13 locations around the US, including a one-year installation at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, Miami Book Fair, Vogue Knitting Live, Superfine Art Fairs, and Young at Arts school bus that engaged children throughout Broward County.

 

2008-2020                     “Quickie Couture” custom fashion made on the spot with prefabricated tubular knit fabrics for over 1,500 people and animals world-wide. Includes Scope Art Fair 2008 – 2010, cities include NY, Miami, Iceland, Costa Rica, Berlin.

 

SELECTED COMMISSIONS

2024                               Cosmic Constellation collaboration with Afrobeta, Rhythm Foundation, Miami Beach Bandshell, FL  

2022                               Multi-colored Knitted Palm Tree, Hublot, Miami Design District, FL

2019                               3 Photo-booth Yarn Installations, Miami Open, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens

2017                               Fabric Rainbow Interactive Installation, Pulse Points Fundraiser, New World Symphony

2017                               The Interknit Interactive Craft Installation, World Happiness Summit, Miami

2012                               “Glow Vines” Backdrop for Chromatics Concert, Olympia Theater, Miami, FL

2011                               “Tights in the Sky Installation” Museum of Contemporary Art, Mystery Dates, Private Residence, Miami Beach, FL

 

EXHIBITIONS


2023-24                Solo Exhibition, Karelle Levy, Knit Does Not Equal Sweater, Green Space Miami, FL

2023                      “Resurrected Arc Angel” Hallelujah! Salon de Refuse, Green Space Miami, FL

2023                      “Berber Tent” Global South Movements, Green Space Miami, FL

2023                      “Duality Glow” & “Peachy Keen” BluPrint Group Show, Bridge Red Studios Miami, FL

2023                      “Tutti Fruiti” Portal FAMA Show, ArtNezs, Miami, FL

2022                      “Camouflage” World Textile Biennial, Miami International Arts Museum, Doral, FL

2022                      “Fabric Palm Trees“ Hublot Commission - Miami Design District Palm Court

2019                      “Patcha Mama” Museum of Sustainability, Miami

2019                      “Rainbow” From Eden to Sahara, The Surfcomber

2019                      25 Foot Long Patch Work Canopies, P.I.G. Festival, Little Haiti Cultural Art Center, Miami, FL

2017                      “Patchwork Souk” SuperFine! Art Fair Miami, FL

2016                      Various fiber artworks on canvas, Can You Feel It, Gallery 2612, Wynwood

2015                      “Fly Knitty” The Machine Show, SwampSpace, Miami Design District

2015                      “Glow Vines” Felt Sew Knot Bound, FAT Village

2014                      “KREL2go, Karelle Levy Solo Show” Palos Verdes Art Center, California

2012                      “Trip the Fabric Fantastic” Solo Show Blackall Studio, London, UK

2017                      “Rainbow Market Place” World Happiness Summit, Ice Palace, Miami

2017                      “Rainbow Sky” 100+ Degrees in the Shade, Design District Miami

2016                      “Pink Mountain” Girls Club, Ft. Lauderdale

2014                      “Fabric Patchwork Canvases” RE: Mac Fine Arts, Fort Lauderdale, FL

2013-14                “Rainbow Cascade” (Feb-March), “KREL-bot” Installation (Dec-Jan), Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach

2013                      “Fiber Fantasy” Art in Windows Walgreens 67th St & Collins, Miami Beach, FL

2013                      “Neon Vines” The Drawing Room, The Broken Shaker, Miami, FL

2013                      “What Goes Up Must Come Down” Fiber Optics, 1310 Gallery, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

2011                      “Patched Camper”, Bread and Butter Berlin, Berlin Germany

2010                      “Oh the Tangled Webs We Weave” David Castillo Gallery, Miami, FL

2009                      “Knit Voodoo Dolls” Little Sisters Show, Spinello Gallery, Miami, FL

2001                      “Knitting, Weaving, Sewing” (Solo Show), Diaspora Vibe Gallery, Miami, FL


 

ARTIST TALKS & WORKSHOPS


2022                      Young at Arts Museum, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

2021-22                Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, PomPom Classes

2019                      Moda Sustanible, Altos De Chavon, Dominican Republic

2018                      Crochet Video Instruction Class, Creativiu.com

2018                      Jewish Museum of Art, Miami Beach

2015                      Fashion Project, Bal Harbour Shops

2013                      Pecha Kucha, Art Catto, Loule Portugal

2011                      Girl’s Club, Ft. Lauderdale

2010                      Pecha Kucha, Bass Museum, Miami Beach

2009                      Conversation at Locust Projects, Miami FL

2009                      Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Miami FL

2008                      Parsons School of the Arts New York, NY

2008                      Art Institute Miami, FL


 

PERFORMANCES & COSTUME DESIGN


2024                      Afrobeta, Cosmic Constellation Glowing Costumes for Cuci Amador and Smurfio

2023                      Elena Rose, Winged Angel Shred Knit Costume

2022-23                Birds of Paradise 2 & 3, Pioneer Winter Collective, Costume design, Miami & Ohio

2020                      Miami City Ballet, Commissioned legwarmers for the Rodeo production

2018                      Miami Motel Stories Mimo, Juggerknot Theater Company

2016                      Latin Grammys, Wisin dancers

2014                      Ekphrasis, Dance Now! Ensemble, Bass Museum of Arts, Miami Beach, FL

2014                      Mixtape 2, UMMAGUMMA FORZA ZUMA! Mad Cat Theatre Company, Miami Florida

2013                      BLOW ME! Mad Cat Theatre Company, Miami FL

2012                      Ancient Evening, Matthew Barney – New York, NY

2011                      Sanford Biggers and Moon Medicine – Art Public for ART BASEL Miami Beach

2009                      TM Sisters: Whirl, Crash, Go! live costume collaboration, Locust Projects, Miami, FL

2009                      Mad Tea Party, Bass Museum, Miami, FL

2009                      Fashion Art Ball, K2G performance, Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami, FL

2004                      Parallel Universe, Art Basel Miami, FL

2004                      Omni Miami, Art Basel Miami, FL

2004                      Toob Performance installation, Chroma Boutique, Miami, FL

2004                      Arroz Con Mango, curated by Jose Elias, Surreal Saturday, PS 742, Miami, FL

2003                      Oscar's Den, Bussandri Showroom, Miami Design District

2003                      Sayonara Kusama with Leah Solo Taylor, Bass Museum, Miami Beach, FL

2002-03                Roving Friday Performance Art, Wynwood Art District, FL

2002                      Halloween Performance, Bass Museum, Miami Beach, FL

2002                      Women in Performance, St. John's Church, Miami Beach, FL

2002                      CONCEPT, The Living Room, Miami, FL

2002                      ElectronicMusicCenter2, with Johanna Levy, Miami, FL

2001-02                                Tubular Performance, Capsule Media Coral Gables, FL

2001-03                                Ecdysis, Here & Now Festival Miami Light Project, Miami, FL

2004                      Plastered Techno Ballerina; The Light Box, Miami, FL

2002                      Geisha, Miami Design District, FL

2001                      Dressing, The House, Miami, FL

2001                      Spunky, w/ Alexandra Wyroba, Exit Art Gallery, NYC

2001                      Photos and Clothes, Light Box Gallery, Miami Light Project, Miami, FL

2001                      Krelware worn exhibition #1 & #2, Kava Art Club, Miami, FL

2000                      Surrealist Saturday, Artemis Performance Space, Miami, FL

1999-2000             Cornucopia of the Arts, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami

1993                      Black and White, AS220, Providence, RI