Hollow Horseshoe Crab was founded in 2020. Our family grew up spending summers on Cape Cod and was mesmerized by the horseshoe crabs meandering along the tidal flats in the early summer. To small children, they appeared scary at first sight, but they also seemed to be gentle creatures that never pinched like the many other crabs found beneath our bare feet.

The horseshoe crab was a symbol of serenity for us as we watched them crawl on the sandy surface almost floating along in the gentle waves. In the early 2000’s we became aware that these special prehistoric creatures were being threatened on many fronts. They became a symbol for our family as we transitioned from our typical hectic and challenging professional lives in Connecticut to our new life on the Cape.

Several members of our family are artists. One fall, prior to our move, a perfectly molted shell was discovered on the beach. We bleached and boiled it and sprayed many layers of white paint on it. The model was boxed up and given to our daughter as a gift. It was her favorite gift of the year. She made a striking Zentangle design on it.

It became a logical connection for us to create an art model kit that combined the mystical embodiment of the horseshoe crab with our love of art. For us, that looked like Hollow Horseshoe Crab. We are excited to see what others do with the design kits and hope to some day have a “Crab Crawl” on Cape Cod to showcase the artwork of local artists on a larger scale.