The Pulse contemporary-art fairs — taking place in Miami, New York, and as of earlier this fall, Los Angeles — are among the most consistent of the satellite events, delivering a strong roster of returning galleries with truly international scope. At this outing there were 75 participants in the main halls, with another dozen in the Impulse section devoted to solo presentations of emerging artists.

“This is our favorite fair,” says Rachel Rillo of Manila’s Silverlens Gallery, “because the galleries are really well curated with a mix of work that is more interesting than when everything is blue-chip.” The enthusiasm seemed to spread to collectors as well: early sales included such big-ticket items as two Damien Hirst spin paintings sold by Ernst Hilger for $150,000; a couple of Alison Schulnick paintings sold by Mark Moore for $18,000 and $18,5000; and half a dozen Gary Fabian Miller seascape photos, sold by Danziger Projects for $20,000 each.

The show’s highlights included a mix of new discoveries and work by midcareer artists. Photographer Curtis Mann — whose compositions incorporating varnish and bleach on found photos to obscure and highlight the content were displayed in the last Whitney Biennial — was represented at Antwerp’s Paul Kusseneers by several works, including “The Boy” (2011, $6200) from a series he completed for a commission from the New York Times Magazine. Kusseneers found Mann a couple years back just as he was graduating from Columbia College in Chicago.

Bill Jacobson has been showing internationally for two decades, but continues to find new approaches. Dealer Julie Saul, who is presenting a retrospective of his work at her New York gallery through December 10, featured a stark gray architectural photo ($5,900) from his new “Places” series in her booth. Silverlens, meanwhile, was featuring a range of paintings and collages (priced from $420 to $1,000) by 25-year-old Filipino artist Dina Gadia. The Philippines is a crossroads of influences — from the China and Indonesia to Spain and the United States — and Gadia’s manipulation of imagery from vintage imported magazine beautifully captures that culture.

SUNY Buffalo professor Joan Linder’s drawings present meticulous technique on a grand scale. A two-part, ink-on-paper drawing ($10,200) stretching more than six feet wide in the booth of Mixed Greens is from a series of four that she created for a new commission for New York’s MTA, translated into more permanent materials the will be installed in a subway station. Finally, in the Impulse section, Sam Lee Gallery featured the photos of Alia Malley ($2,500-$9,000 depending on size and edition). Finding transitional pockets of nature in the urban environment, she transforms the scenes, recording them in a palette that recalls Northern European Old Master paintings.

Of course, any fair has its duds, whether they result from individual failings or played-out trends. We will let the lowlights in the accompanying slideshow speak for themselves.

To see pictures of some of the best artworks at Pulse Miami 2011, click on the slide show.