
Donation 'allows us to provide more art to the community and offer some classes that we haven’t been able to have for years.'
From Norristown Times-Herald, October 1, 2025
As Conshohocken Art League heads into its 103rd season, CAL President Matt Mashaintonio says a combined $10,000 grant from the Conicelli automotive group and its Genesis dealership-affiliated Genesis Inspiration Foundation “has basically set us up financially and removed the stress we’ve had from working on super thin margins ever since COVID.”
“This is more money than the art league has had in the bank in years,” Mashaintonio continues. “It basically allows us to take the next step, get all the supplies we need so our students don’t have to provide them, make sure we have enough money to pay our instructors – a definite priority – and fill in gap like allowing us to run a class even if we have, say, four students instead of the five we planned for.
“How significant is this grant? It’s huge.”
All of which “allows us to provide more art to the community and offer some classes that we haven’t been able to have for years.”
Among the latter are watercolor and independent study classes that were sidelined because of budgetary restrictions.
“We’ve been offering our Basic Skills classes, and we’ve always offered our kids’ classes,” Mashaintonio says. “But with COVID in the mix, it’s probably been eight or nine years since we were able to run our watercolor class, and we haven’t offered the Independent Study class for, maybe, two or two-and-a-half years. So, with this grant money, we’re feeling pretty good at the moment.”
Start dates for the CAL sessions were staggered throughout September. All classes are held in the historic Mary Wood Park House, 120 E. Fifth Ave. Additional specifics, as well as tuition and instructor bios, are available at www.conshohockenartleague.org.
According to Mashaintonio, the resurrected Watercolor Painting class (Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.) is designed for “all levels whether you’re just beginning or in need of inspiration and new methods”; Independent Study (Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-noon), for “artists and students working in painting or drawing and able to work on their own under the guidance of an experienced artist”; Basic Skills/Drawing (Mondays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.) and Basic Skills/Painting (Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.), for beginners. All four are open to ages 16-plus.
“Introduction to Art: A Space for Young Artists” is “designed to teach students the foundations of drawing, painting and color theory.” The Saturday morning classes are open to ages 6-12.
Mashaintonio, who owns The Artist’s Loft gallery in Conshohocken, says Borough Mayor Yaniv Aronson was point person for the Conicelli-Genesis Inspiration Foundation grant that has infused CAL with new life.
“Yaniv’s been such a huge supporter of the art league,” the CAL president says. “It was his idea to start the (borough’s annual) arts festival and make the art league its primary beneficiary. He’s been great.”
Aronson deflects the compliment to “the Conicelli family’s continuing support for events in the community.”
“Conicelli has worked with us at the (combined annual Conshohocken car show arts) festival since day one,” he says. “They also donated to the Conshohocken Baseball & Softball League’s new batting cages project last spring. So, when they decided to match the initial Genesis grant of $5,000, we were so appreciative for their generosity…for everything they’ve done for the Conshohocken community.”