So says Arteamericas, the Latin American art fair exhibiting this weekend in Miami Beach, Florida. Unbeknownst to many, Miami boasts a contemporary art scene that rivals, if not surpasses that of international art metropolis New York City. Blame it on the beaches or provocatively sunny weather, but has just the right amount of desire, will and affectation to make it fierce competitor for the media-buzz celebrity-driven cultural arts attention long coveted by New York City.

Although only in its sixth year, Art Miami Beach (the American counterpart to the famously chic Art Basel Switzerland) is likely the most important annual arts showcase in the United States—sorry, Whitney Biennial. Arteamericas provides Miami tantalizing respite necessary to bridge the time between the exhaustive Art Miami/Design Miami city takeover during December and the tourist playground the city becomes during the summer months.

Less monstrous than its winter cousin, Arteamericas appears quirky and intimate. The event bills itself as “the premier art fair from Latin America” and encompasses seventy one high-quality galleries “representing 300 emerging artists and renowned masters.”

I love Latin American art and it’s in the midst of a revolution no art institution can afford to ignore. Works by Eugenio Espinoza and Grupo Escombros show promise.

Get a little hot here.