Together at last 

Heaven and Earth Gallery owner Lynn Hessler was gleeful when she e-mailed me about the gallery’s current show, “Buddha and the Virgin: Together at Last.”

“A local collector of sacred sculptures from all over the world will be sharing some of his favorite pieces, and we will be featuring local versions of ‘Virgins’......and/or ho’s,” she wrote. “Should be awesome, and quite a thrill for some of those crusty old Buddhas. The time has come....”

• IMAGE COURTESY OF HEAVEN AND EARTH GALLERY
• BUDDHA AND THE VIRGIN : A wonderful merging of the sacred and the profane, this Heavan and Earth Gallery show closes Sunday, Aug. 26, with an artists’ reception from 6 to 9 p.m.

Candles, scattered rose petals, and sacred statues create a mystical aura in the recently expanded second-floor gallery, alongside steamy pieces by the likes of Josephine Crawford and Lena Rushing; the pleasures of heaven and earth in one exhibit.

A closing reception for “Buddha and the Virgin” takes place Sunday, Aug. 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. Heaven and Earth Gallery is located upstairs at 964 Chorro St. in downtown San Luis Obispo.

The tiny Heaven and Earth has been steadily gaining in popularity, with monthly group shows on whimsical and unexpected themes. Last month’s exhibit, “Under the Sun Blanketed Sun,” featured the intricate drawings and woodcuts of local artists Jamie Coxon, Rubin Sawyer and Jeremiah Conte. September’s exhibit, a fundraiser for the animal shelter, will feature a dazzling array of painted purses.

“Peep Show” is another theme in the works for this fall.

“Come up the stairs, peep in the glass window holes at artwork or performance,” Hessler explained. “Fleeting and disavowed the minute it ends.”