December 2025 Winners

Grace Duran

CUNY Office Assistant
QCC Art Gallery

Grace took no notice of the cold day’s diminishing light. She was too busy multitasking in preparation for several 2026 Spring exhibits at the QCC Art Gallery, including the Juried Student Art Show and Exploring the Traditional Arts of Central Africa.

“I love to be organized, creative and engaged in many things at once.”

And boy is she.

In addition to her many responsibilities as CUNY Office Assistant at the QCC Art Gallery, she has partnered with Yessenia Garcia, Inclusive Hiring and Cultural Programming Manager, Office of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, to organize events for National Hispanic Heritage Month (NHHM), including the hugely successful kick-off held in September.

Amaris Matos, Assistant Vice President for Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, who nominated Grace for the C.A.R.E.S. Award, said, “Although the [NHHM] celebration runs from September 15 to October 15, planning began last spring semester, demonstrating Grace’s long-term commitment to making the month impactful and meaningful. She consistently goes above and beyond her regular responsibilities, from brainstorming creative ideas, coordinating logistics, and ensuring that each event is engaging, beautiful, and representative of Hispanic culture. Her efforts have helped create opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to connect, celebrate, and feel seen on campus. Her work has significantly contributed to a more inclusive environment, where students from Hispanic backgrounds feel recognized. She has served outside her usual role, leading with positivity and a clear passion for community engagement. Through her example, she encourages others to take initiative and support cultural celebrations. Her influence helps foster a sense of pride and belonging across the campus community.”

Grace encapsulates the meaning of pride and belonging. Even the large area surrounding her desk exudes a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

“This is my happy space. Most of the art is pieces I selected.” The largest work is an oil painting by the artist John Hultberg. In it a highway runs through vibrant cornfields to a distant pink and lavender sky. “I imagine I am in my car about to begin an adventure or it’s a runway and I’m about to take off to an exotic island.” In a corner of the room, placed on a shelf, is a small Columbian artifact, part of a ceremonial costume embroidered with tiny, colorful beads and cowrie shells. “It is so beautiful--I want it to be in my line of sight every day.” Her menagerie of fine art boasts delicate watercolors, Mexican jewelry, a paper mobile of Monarch butterflies, and an African mask of ivory. Blinking colored lights frame the wall behind her desk.

Grace’s life at Queensborough began as a student in 2005. The next year she was hired as a CUNY Office Assistant in the Office of Institutional Advancement and then moved on to the Marketing department (now the Division of Strategic Initiatives and Advancement). In 2009 she graduated with an associate in science (A.S.) degree in Business Administration, the same year she first met Faustino Quintanilla, Executive Director of the QCC Art Gallery.

“I never could have imagined how profoundly my work at the gallery would shape me. What started as simple administrative work slowly became something much deeper. I’ve gone from filing papers to registering artworks, drafting donor agreements, coordinating exhibitions—taking on a hundred important responsibilities under Faustino’s guidance. He reminds me, without ever needing to say it outright, that the work we do matters.”

It matters very much to Grace that she completes her bachelor’s degree of arts at Queens College where she is a part-time student majoring in Spanish. “I want to immerse myself in the language of my heritage.” She then offered this reply when asked about meeting various artists:

“Cada artista que viene a la galería deja una impresión única en mí. Cada uno tiene su propio carisma y estilo; cada uno transmite algo distinto. De todos aprendo algo nuevo que puedo aplicar en mi trabajo y en la forma en que veo el arte.”

“Each artist who comes to the gallery leaves a unique impression on me. Each one has their own charisma and style; each one conveys something different. I learn something new from all of them that I can apply to my work and to the way I see art.”

Grace understands that learning about and experiencing firsthand the world of fine art should be accessible to everyone. She and Faustino mentor Queensborough student interns, including students from the Gallery and Museum Studies Program, and from Flushing International High School, Bayside High School and summer youth programs throughout New York City.

But that’s not all.

Grace and Yessenia together launched the Hispanic Latin Faculty and Staff Association (HLFSA), now in its second year. The kickoff was a hit, and plans are already in the works for next year’s event. Grace also provides assistance to the Pause and Recharge: Community Wellness and Relaxation series as needed under Yessenia’s direction. In addition, Grace is a co-advisor along with Sheila Flores for the Spanish & Latin American Student Association (SLASA) founded by students from the CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP) who want to help smooth the way for English as a Second Language learners (ESL) to begin credit bearing courses.

Grace does manage to carve out free time and with it will sometimes visit the Metropolitan Museum. “I love the Egyptian statues of Pharos and sphynxes, very powerful and mysterious. The statues remind me of something Faustino once said, “Treat every piece as if someone put a piece of their soul into it—because they did.

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