Oscar-Winning Actor Purchases $65,000 Joe Bradley Piece at COAF Gala
NEW YORK (A.W.)—Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio bought a work by famed American painter Joe Bradley for $65,000 at the Children of Armenia Fund’s (COAF) charity Gala held on Dec. 9 at Cipriani 42nd Street, reported Page Six.
Tony Shafrazi—a close friend of DiCaprio’s—was the gala’s honorary chair, and Simon de Pury presided over the auction, according to the report.
This year’s 13th annual COAF Gala, which raised over $3 million for the charity, honored Terry George and Dr. Eric Esrailian, the Director and Producer of Survival Pictures’ important new film, “The Promise.” Set in 1914, “The Promise” captures a time when world war was looming and the Ottoman Empire was crumbling, an era that began the decades long degradation of Armenian culture and loss of life.
Thirteen years ago, COAF began a mission to improve Armenian life at the national, local and individual levels. Using education as the springboard to success, COAF found opportunity amidst tragedy, growth amidst destruction and hope amidst a seemingly undefined future. Today, they celebrate the first generation of COAF graduates, a group of healthy, educated, entrepreneurial young adults, who are the promise for Armenia’s future.