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WEALTH MAGAZINE
June, 2026 April Popko featured in the June Issue(Issue #18) of Wealth Magazine "Last year, I had the privilege of being a keynote speaker at the Wealth Forum in Prague, where I also joined a panel discussion exploring the unique experience of being part of a multi-generational artistic family. Together, we discussed what true wealth means beyond finances - legacy, creativity, family, purpose, and the impact we leave behind. This year, Wealth Magazine invited me to share my story in Issue #18 (June 2026) ---April Popko |
See below for the English translation of the full article:
Wealth Magazine - issue 18 - June 2026
APRIL POPKO
"True wealth is not in what we collect, but in what we give."
American painter April Popko comes from a multi-generational artistic family and now lives in Prague, where she devotes herself to her own art and projects in public spaces. She continues the family tradition in her own way: through paintings, working with paint and installations that are intended to connect people, places and stories. In the interview, she talks about why she sees art as, among other things, a carrier of family values, energy and identity. She explains how art can connect generations, cross continents and help families preserve their legacy.
In April Popko's family, playfulness has always been a serious business. She grew up in an environment full of colors and creative freedom, but also rules, responsibility, and the awareness that a legacy is not just passed on passively. On the contrary, each generation should grasp it in its own way. This is not all that the well-known artist describes for Wealth Magazine. She also mentions how her family's artistic tradition influenced her, why she decided to continue with public installations in the Czech Republic, and how entrepreneurial and investor families can think about art as part of cultural heritage.
In your speech, you touched on art as part of family wealth. What does that mean to you beyond the ownership of artworks?
Art as part of our family wealth is not about possession, ownership or financial value. It is about the continuity of our lineage, our family’s memories, experiences, stories, and personal values. Coming from a multigenerational family of artists, I learned that true wealth is not what is collected, but what is passed on in vision and in sentiment. Everything is energy and I know that our heirs will somehow feel our connection long after we are gone. Though future generations may never personally know us, they’ll feel our connection. They’ll sense what we liked, what we valued, and what experiences we shared through stories and artworks. Art is something that shapes identity and can inspire family members across generations. It means a lot to me that art can hold a family’s emotional memory long after financial structures inevitably change. Similar to much of what my art now represents, art crosses the barriers of time, space, cultures, and even languages. It communicates without words. It connects. Collecting it and building a personal connection within a family lineage that can withstand the turbulence of generational successions is a type of wealth hard to find elsewhere.
“They may never know us in person, but through stories and artwork they can sense what we loved, what we valued, and what experiences we shared.”
You grew up in a multigenerational artistic family. What were the advantages and the downsides of that?
In my family, “play is serious business.” I grew up immersed in a large family house full of color, noise, and fun. This gave us a lot of freedom to be creative, and express ourselves naturally. We were allowed to experiment and explore with different materials and techniques, knowing we could always start over or try something new. There was no pressure around the creative process, which made us love it… and if you love what you do, it will stand the test of time, surviving challenges ahead. As with any business, in creating an environment where the process is enjoyable, we developed a family culture of adaptability. This gave us an enormous advantage when things got tough. We built resilience with flexibility and took risks easily. No matter what challenge would arise, we’d be able to fix it, change it, or scrap an idea, switching gears or directions altogether.
One downside of this, though, was the self-inflicted pressure coming from both honoring the past while still claiming my own voice within it was tricky. I find this to be even more relevant, now that I live abroad. With so many options for how to design my life in Prague, comes the responsibility of selecting which parts of my ‘old self’ to keep, and how to weave those customs into something that connects both worlds.
How difficult is it to balance creativity with responsibility and discipline?
Balancing creativity with discipline is essential if you want art to survive beyond inspiration. Creativity opens the door, but discipline is what keeps it open long enough for real meaning to form and results to happen. In a family context, I learned early that freedom is not the absence of structure, rather, it is the result of it. For example, I grew up attending a private, parochial school for 13 years. I appreciate that we had to wear uniforms; we were taught by nuns and priests; and we had to follow many strict rules, and rituals. This structure gave me a sense of direction and belonging which in turn, grounded me. There was safety in the limitations. Because I felt like I was protected in the net of a larger family, Church, school, and community, I had the freedom to take risks and play with my creative side when not tending to my responsibilities. I didn’t have to worry about “who I was” or “what will I do?” I knew where I belonged and so I could explore with my imagination after my structured hours had long passed. It was clear that the completion of my responsibilities equaled free time to experiment. There was satisfaction in it… and so I’m a believer that structured consistency is what protects creative freedom. It’s what allows creativity to survive over time. Art doesn’t sell itself. I had to build many skill sets to create a successful business.
Is it possible to build on a family tradition while still finding your own style?
Not only is it possible, it is necessary. Family traditions are important but they only stay alive if they can evolve. Each generation must reinterpret rather than replicate. We build on what we know and enjoy, and we pivot when we need to adjust.
One example, among many, is the celebration of my father’s artworks which he created in Massachusetts. Julian Popko, creator of the Provincetown Lobster Pot Tree (among many public art installations in Massachusetts) started a holiday tradition which now attracts thousands of fans to Provincetown to gather each year. Decades ago, my father got the family involved in building a two-storey holiday ‘tree’ made of lobster traps by making it fun for us. This was key. As we say, “Those who play together, stay together.” He gave everyone festive hats, hot chocolate drinks, cookies and music to set the tone for fun. His optimistic energy was contagious. This got us excited to help, which grew into beautiful memories we now treasure. Even after he died, the tradition continues. My sister, Crystal, now leads this project in her own way and has already shared responsibilities with the third generation. She has had to adapt over the years because for over two decades, it continues to attract more fans, which in turn, creates a lot more work. This ensures the family legacy and tradition can carry on even without us.
Because I am unable to attend this event each year, I wrote a children’s book about it, as my contribution to this family project - and in the past few years, I also made a conscious decision to carry on the Popko tradition of creating public installation art abroad- closer to my father’s European roots. I created Popko Wings in the Zizkov Tower, Popko Rainbow Stairs in Reporyje, and have more projects in the works, including our own type of a tree-lighting ceremony on this side of the ocean as well, led by my husband and son. It is our way of honoring what my father started across the ocean. I am inspired by his enthusiasm for sharing his artwork, connecting people and for bringing good vibes into the community… and so I carry his light, almost as if he passed his torch, even on a different continent.
So yes, it is absolutely possible to build on family tradition while finding your own voice- despite where or how it is executed. True artistic lineage only survives when each generation is allowed to personally transform it.
"Family traditions are important, but they only stay alive when they are allowed to evolve."
When people talk about passing values between generations, what about art?
Art carries what words cannot fully say. My father came from Poland, not knowing English. I moved to Prague, not knowing Czech. My children live between worlds, as I do, too. When we speak about passing values between generations, art plays a unique role because it carries what language cannot fully express. Education and tradition teach us what to know but art teaches us how to see and understand. It holds atmosphere, memory, emotion, and intuition in a way that can be felt long after words fade. It shows a younger generation not only what our family believed in but how we saw the world. It can help to ground future generations by giving them a sense of where they came from and how we are still deeply connected.
Do you see a difference between families that manage wealth and those that build a cultural legacy? What role does art play?
There is a clear difference between families that manage wealth and those that consciously build cultural legacy. Wealth alone can preserve its assets or its name, but cultural legacy gives it meaning. Art plays a central role in that transformation. It turns private success into shared memory, and memory into identity that survives time. Art gives a family its flavor, flare, and character. Art is what transforms accumulation into identity. It gives families a shared visual and emotional language that can survive across time, geography, and generations. Meaning is what our family holds onto, longterm. We are so sentimental! Nobody remembers what you say but they remember how you made them feel. If you can inspire the next generations, you can be sure they will work toward keeping your legacy alive. Art inspires.
Can a multigenerational artistic background inspire family businesses and succession planning?
Absolutely. I see strong parallels between my multigenerational artistic family and family businesses every day. Both must use creativity and “thinking outside of the box” to succeed. Art teaches that succession is not repetition, rather, it is reinterpretation. Putting your own spin on it, or having your own stamp on it revitalizes future generations to take ownership of it, rather than carrying someone else’s assets or possessions throughout the decades. The next generation must be trusted not just to preserve, but to grow, change, and evolve. This can energize future generations if they feel that the responsibility of succession can be customized to their own needs and interests. They must feel true ownership of the business. The next generation not only inherits responsibility, but is also trusted to reshape it. Nothing survives if it cannot evolve.
How do you ensure legacy is not an obligation, but a source of inspiration?
A family legacy only becomes alive when it inspires or feels like possibility rather than pressure. If it becomes duty alone, it loses its power. That’s why my family often aims to create fun around our traditions so it fuels our desire to continue what we consider important. If it feels like an obligation, it eventually collapses under its own weight. The goal is not to preserve the past, but to create an emotional connection and ownership to it.
Do you work with family businesses or multigenerational families? Do they think differently about art?
Yes, families who think very long term tend to approach collecting art with more patience and intention rather than focusing on the monetary value of it. They buy what they love and in turn, the next generation might better connect to it… because afterall, we’re related! Art becomes part of how families define themselves, not just how they decorate their environment.
Collecting art that you love might give your heirs a clue as to why you were drawn to specific art pieces, what was happening in your lives at that time, and could help them better find their own identity within the family. Your legacy will essentially become more colorful, more interesting, and more memorable, which is something worth preserving.
What can entrepreneurial and investor families learn from the art world?
I often meet families, among many entrepreneurial and investor families, who are searching for something beyond financial success. What they are really looking for is inspiration, energy, or a shared sense of meaning- a connection or a story. From the artistic world, they can learn that legacy is not built through assets alone, but through shared symbols, stories, and emotional continuity. They can learn that legacy is not built only through performance, but through narrative. This holds its own value. The art world understands that meaning increases value over time when it is freely expressed and intentionally preserved. Families can take from this the importance of emotional connectedness. These are what hold generations together when structures change, which is inevitable over time.
"Every day I see parallels between the multi-generational families and the artistic families. Both require creativity and the ability to think outside the box in order to succeed."
What motivates you today, and where do you want your work to go next?
As a mother, teacher, artist, and businesswoman, I view my art as more than an object - it is a transfer of energy. I want that energy to outlive me, serving as a resource that future generations, including my own three children (and beyond), can draw upon to fuel their own dreams.
Art is a unique bridge; it connects tradition with transformation. By leaning into my family motto, ‘Play is serious business,’ I invite my heirs and future collectors to see that joy and curiosity are not the opposites of work - they are the engines of innovation and resilience. They are what drive us to create. In the world of wealth and legacy, we often focus on financial value, but I want to help families redefine what 'value' actually looks like for the future.
Ultimately, I am also creating for the people I will possibly never meet. I want the descendants of mine, or a collector’s great-grandchildren to come across a piece of my work and feel an immediate sense of freedom, encouragement, energy, and inspiration. I want it to be a silent reminder that they are capable, trusted, and free to live boldly. Energy can never be destroyed - only transferred - and I hope the world can use plenty of mine to build something beautiful long after I’m gone.
*I invite you to visit my art studio in Reporyje to experience some of that energy… or visit Popko Wings at the Zizkov Tower observatory.
www.PopkoProductions.com Thank you and have a beautiful day! – April Popko
Wealth Magazine - issue 18 - June 2026
APRIL POPKO
"True wealth is not in what we collect, but in what we give."
American painter April Popko comes from a multi-generational artistic family and now lives in Prague, where she devotes herself to her own art and projects in public spaces. She continues the family tradition in her own way: through paintings, working with paint and installations that are intended to connect people, places and stories. In the interview, she talks about why she sees art as, among other things, a carrier of family values, energy and identity. She explains how art can connect generations, cross continents and help families preserve their legacy.
In April Popko's family, playfulness has always been a serious business. She grew up in an environment full of colors and creative freedom, but also rules, responsibility, and the awareness that a legacy is not just passed on passively. On the contrary, each generation should grasp it in its own way. This is not all that the well-known artist describes for Wealth Magazine. She also mentions how her family's artistic tradition influenced her, why she decided to continue with public installations in the Czech Republic, and how entrepreneurial and investor families can think about art as part of cultural heritage.
In your speech, you touched on art as part of family wealth. What does that mean to you beyond the ownership of artworks?
Art as part of our family wealth is not about possession, ownership or financial value. It is about the continuity of our lineage, our family’s memories, experiences, stories, and personal values. Coming from a multigenerational family of artists, I learned that true wealth is not what is collected, but what is passed on in vision and in sentiment. Everything is energy and I know that our heirs will somehow feel our connection long after we are gone. Though future generations may never personally know us, they’ll feel our connection. They’ll sense what we liked, what we valued, and what experiences we shared through stories and artworks. Art is something that shapes identity and can inspire family members across generations. It means a lot to me that art can hold a family’s emotional memory long after financial structures inevitably change. Similar to much of what my art now represents, art crosses the barriers of time, space, cultures, and even languages. It communicates without words. It connects. Collecting it and building a personal connection within a family lineage that can withstand the turbulence of generational successions is a type of wealth hard to find elsewhere.
“They may never know us in person, but through stories and artwork they can sense what we loved, what we valued, and what experiences we shared.”
You grew up in a multigenerational artistic family. What were the advantages and the downsides of that?
In my family, “play is serious business.” I grew up immersed in a large family house full of color, noise, and fun. This gave us a lot of freedom to be creative, and express ourselves naturally. We were allowed to experiment and explore with different materials and techniques, knowing we could always start over or try something new. There was no pressure around the creative process, which made us love it… and if you love what you do, it will stand the test of time, surviving challenges ahead. As with any business, in creating an environment where the process is enjoyable, we developed a family culture of adaptability. This gave us an enormous advantage when things got tough. We built resilience with flexibility and took risks easily. No matter what challenge would arise, we’d be able to fix it, change it, or scrap an idea, switching gears or directions altogether.
One downside of this, though, was the self-inflicted pressure coming from both honoring the past while still claiming my own voice within it was tricky. I find this to be even more relevant, now that I live abroad. With so many options for how to design my life in Prague, comes the responsibility of selecting which parts of my ‘old self’ to keep, and how to weave those customs into something that connects both worlds.
How difficult is it to balance creativity with responsibility and discipline?
Balancing creativity with discipline is essential if you want art to survive beyond inspiration. Creativity opens the door, but discipline is what keeps it open long enough for real meaning to form and results to happen. In a family context, I learned early that freedom is not the absence of structure, rather, it is the result of it. For example, I grew up attending a private, parochial school for 13 years. I appreciate that we had to wear uniforms; we were taught by nuns and priests; and we had to follow many strict rules, and rituals. This structure gave me a sense of direction and belonging which in turn, grounded me. There was safety in the limitations. Because I felt like I was protected in the net of a larger family, Church, school, and community, I had the freedom to take risks and play with my creative side when not tending to my responsibilities. I didn’t have to worry about “who I was” or “what will I do?” I knew where I belonged and so I could explore with my imagination after my structured hours had long passed. It was clear that the completion of my responsibilities equaled free time to experiment. There was satisfaction in it… and so I’m a believer that structured consistency is what protects creative freedom. It’s what allows creativity to survive over time. Art doesn’t sell itself. I had to build many skill sets to create a successful business.
Is it possible to build on a family tradition while still finding your own style?
Not only is it possible, it is necessary. Family traditions are important but they only stay alive if they can evolve. Each generation must reinterpret rather than replicate. We build on what we know and enjoy, and we pivot when we need to adjust.
One example, among many, is the celebration of my father’s artworks which he created in Massachusetts. Julian Popko, creator of the Provincetown Lobster Pot Tree (among many public art installations in Massachusetts) started a holiday tradition which now attracts thousands of fans to Provincetown to gather each year. Decades ago, my father got the family involved in building a two-storey holiday ‘tree’ made of lobster traps by making it fun for us. This was key. As we say, “Those who play together, stay together.” He gave everyone festive hats, hot chocolate drinks, cookies and music to set the tone for fun. His optimistic energy was contagious. This got us excited to help, which grew into beautiful memories we now treasure. Even after he died, the tradition continues. My sister, Crystal, now leads this project in her own way and has already shared responsibilities with the third generation. She has had to adapt over the years because for over two decades, it continues to attract more fans, which in turn, creates a lot more work. This ensures the family legacy and tradition can carry on even without us.
Because I am unable to attend this event each year, I wrote a children’s book about it, as my contribution to this family project - and in the past few years, I also made a conscious decision to carry on the Popko tradition of creating public installation art abroad- closer to my father’s European roots. I created Popko Wings in the Zizkov Tower, Popko Rainbow Stairs in Reporyje, and have more projects in the works, including our own type of a tree-lighting ceremony on this side of the ocean as well, led by my husband and son. It is our way of honoring what my father started across the ocean. I am inspired by his enthusiasm for sharing his artwork, connecting people and for bringing good vibes into the community… and so I carry his light, almost as if he passed his torch, even on a different continent.
So yes, it is absolutely possible to build on family tradition while finding your own voice- despite where or how it is executed. True artistic lineage only survives when each generation is allowed to personally transform it.
"Family traditions are important, but they only stay alive when they are allowed to evolve."
When people talk about passing values between generations, what about art?
Art carries what words cannot fully say. My father came from Poland, not knowing English. I moved to Prague, not knowing Czech. My children live between worlds, as I do, too. When we speak about passing values between generations, art plays a unique role because it carries what language cannot fully express. Education and tradition teach us what to know but art teaches us how to see and understand. It holds atmosphere, memory, emotion, and intuition in a way that can be felt long after words fade. It shows a younger generation not only what our family believed in but how we saw the world. It can help to ground future generations by giving them a sense of where they came from and how we are still deeply connected.
Do you see a difference between families that manage wealth and those that build a cultural legacy? What role does art play?
There is a clear difference between families that manage wealth and those that consciously build cultural legacy. Wealth alone can preserve its assets or its name, but cultural legacy gives it meaning. Art plays a central role in that transformation. It turns private success into shared memory, and memory into identity that survives time. Art gives a family its flavor, flare, and character. Art is what transforms accumulation into identity. It gives families a shared visual and emotional language that can survive across time, geography, and generations. Meaning is what our family holds onto, longterm. We are so sentimental! Nobody remembers what you say but they remember how you made them feel. If you can inspire the next generations, you can be sure they will work toward keeping your legacy alive. Art inspires.
Can a multigenerational artistic background inspire family businesses and succession planning?
Absolutely. I see strong parallels between my multigenerational artistic family and family businesses every day. Both must use creativity and “thinking outside of the box” to succeed. Art teaches that succession is not repetition, rather, it is reinterpretation. Putting your own spin on it, or having your own stamp on it revitalizes future generations to take ownership of it, rather than carrying someone else’s assets or possessions throughout the decades. The next generation must be trusted not just to preserve, but to grow, change, and evolve. This can energize future generations if they feel that the responsibility of succession can be customized to their own needs and interests. They must feel true ownership of the business. The next generation not only inherits responsibility, but is also trusted to reshape it. Nothing survives if it cannot evolve.
How do you ensure legacy is not an obligation, but a source of inspiration?
A family legacy only becomes alive when it inspires or feels like possibility rather than pressure. If it becomes duty alone, it loses its power. That’s why my family often aims to create fun around our traditions so it fuels our desire to continue what we consider important. If it feels like an obligation, it eventually collapses under its own weight. The goal is not to preserve the past, but to create an emotional connection and ownership to it.
Do you work with family businesses or multigenerational families? Do they think differently about art?
Yes, families who think very long term tend to approach collecting art with more patience and intention rather than focusing on the monetary value of it. They buy what they love and in turn, the next generation might better connect to it… because afterall, we’re related! Art becomes part of how families define themselves, not just how they decorate their environment.
Collecting art that you love might give your heirs a clue as to why you were drawn to specific art pieces, what was happening in your lives at that time, and could help them better find their own identity within the family. Your legacy will essentially become more colorful, more interesting, and more memorable, which is something worth preserving.
What can entrepreneurial and investor families learn from the art world?
I often meet families, among many entrepreneurial and investor families, who are searching for something beyond financial success. What they are really looking for is inspiration, energy, or a shared sense of meaning- a connection or a story. From the artistic world, they can learn that legacy is not built through assets alone, but through shared symbols, stories, and emotional continuity. They can learn that legacy is not built only through performance, but through narrative. This holds its own value. The art world understands that meaning increases value over time when it is freely expressed and intentionally preserved. Families can take from this the importance of emotional connectedness. These are what hold generations together when structures change, which is inevitable over time.
"Every day I see parallels between the multi-generational families and the artistic families. Both require creativity and the ability to think outside the box in order to succeed."
What motivates you today, and where do you want your work to go next?
As a mother, teacher, artist, and businesswoman, I view my art as more than an object - it is a transfer of energy. I want that energy to outlive me, serving as a resource that future generations, including my own three children (and beyond), can draw upon to fuel their own dreams.
Art is a unique bridge; it connects tradition with transformation. By leaning into my family motto, ‘Play is serious business,’ I invite my heirs and future collectors to see that joy and curiosity are not the opposites of work - they are the engines of innovation and resilience. They are what drive us to create. In the world of wealth and legacy, we often focus on financial value, but I want to help families redefine what 'value' actually looks like for the future.
Ultimately, I am also creating for the people I will possibly never meet. I want the descendants of mine, or a collector’s great-grandchildren to come across a piece of my work and feel an immediate sense of freedom, encouragement, energy, and inspiration. I want it to be a silent reminder that they are capable, trusted, and free to live boldly. Energy can never be destroyed - only transferred - and I hope the world can use plenty of mine to build something beautiful long after I’m gone.
*I invite you to visit my art studio in Reporyje to experience some of that energy… or visit Popko Wings at the Zizkov Tower observatory.
www.PopkoProductions.com Thank you and have a beautiful day! – April Popko
