Not so long ago on a return flight to LA, I was sitting next to a young Boston couple who had never been to the West Coast before. I asked them what the first thing they wanted to do was when they landed. They said they wanted to eat at Del Taco. I tried to hide my horror and politely suggested that if they noticed any of the numerous taco trucks parked on the streets of our fair city, to please try those tacos as well. “It’s the closest thing you’ll get to Mexico without going to Mexico,” I told them. That didn’t seem to impress them at all. They much preferred their Del Taco wet dream while be-bopping to their iTunes.

I can’t claim to be an authority on Mexican culture, but living in Los Angeles does lend some street cred. Growing up in Missouri, you couldn’t get any further from Latin culture. My closest encounter were the tacos my Italian-American mom made with ground beef spiced with Lawry’s taco seasoning and topped with shredded cheddar cheese in crunchy taco shells, still warm from the oven. That Taco Bell sensibility kills me now, having lived in Southern California for over two decades.Maybe I shouldn’t be so hard on the Boston teeny-boppers.

Mexican art has been on my mind for some time. The prospect of devoting an issue to it was met with enthusiasm at an editorial meeting a while ago, but put on the back burner. Now it’s resurfaced, and in this issue my contributors more than make up for my lack of experience south of the border. Some of our writers have collaborated with the artists profiled here or have shown their own work in Mexico. Some have curated contemporary Latin art, or just championed an artist’s work. We have chosen to focus only on artists who are Mexican by birth, who are now living and working either in Mexico or the U.S.

The result is a rich array of our contributors sharing their Latin passion with Artillery. Chris Kraus delights us with her trip to Mexicali, cavorting with a neo-muralist. Betty Ann Brown recalls her youthful fascination with Mexico, right down to her addiction to hot chilies. Amy Pederson deconstructs rebel artist Joaquin Segura, and Tyler Hubby checks in with Yoshua Okón of Mexico City’s art space SOMA.

I wanted to do this Mexico issue because I felt ignorant about the art being made there. There’s so much happening in the Mexican and Latin American art scene—more art fairs, more collectors, more artists. And it so happens that the Getty is launching another segment of their PST program, this time calling it LA/LA, short for Los Angeles and Latin America. Maybe the timing is just right.

But before I sign off, I can’t end without drawing your attention to our newly designed website: artillerymag.com. Check it out. We’re working on adding all of your past favorite columns, articles and reviews, all archived, and preserving seven years of Artillery. We’ll be adding content to it throughout the summer. Something to keep you busy and out of the sun!