Neptune’s Gate
Books, Photographs, Handwritten Text, Bookshelf; 7’W x 3’D x 8’H; Manhattan Beach, CA
Neptune’s Gate is a participatory, community-focused installation that celebrates the legacy of Manhattan Beach’s early literary pioneers, the women of Neptune’s Society, who initiated reading nights and established the city’s first public library. The project invited local elders to contribute their personal reflections, recommending books that shaped their lives and sharing handwritten notes and photographs alongside their selections.
These stories and books were displayed in a sculptural bookshelf-and-bench archway at the public library, offering visitors both a physical and intellectual passage into the community’s literary history. By situating personal memory alongside public engagement, Neptune’s Gate transforms the act of reading into an immersive, social experience—a gateway between past and present, memory and discovery.