Within moments, the exhibition introduces many of the themes that Bay Area resident Leeson has grappled with during her career, a career that long remained under-the-radar. The program, selected from a collection of over 800 pieces, seems especially appropriate for the YBCA, which saw thousands stream past its doors just a few weeks prior during the San Francisco’s Women’s March. “Nevertheless, she persisted,” said Lucía Sanromán, director of visual arts for the YBCA. “That is why this work is so important, because the persecution of the female is ongoing in public life”… Action is an important theme for Sanromán, who said bringing the program to the YBCA was the first decision she made as director. “How can we enact politics beyond the symbolic?” Sanromán asked. This exhibition is a step in the right direction, she added. “Leeson was ahead of her time in so many ways,” said Sanromán. “Finally, time has caught up to the [work]. I just wish we were having a different conversation, one that isn’t framed by powerlessness.”