Vancouver's Joe Average remembered for his wildly coloured art as much as devoted advocacy
The creator of murals, coins, stamps, and much more gave a human face to HIV, tirelessly raised money for charity, and brought vivid imagery to the city
Joe Average stands by One World, One Hope as it’s being created on Helmcken at Granville Street, in 2021. Photo courtesy @joebrockaverage
Joe Average’s commemorative “Marriage EQUALITY” Loonie.
BELOVED VANCOUVER ARTIST Joe Brock Average is being remembered for his advocacy and charity work, as well as the instantly recognizable, colour-popping art that emblazoned everything from public murals and street banners to T-shirts, puzzles, and COVID face masks over the years. He also designed a postage stamp and a commemorative “Marriage EQUALITY” Loonie coin for the Royal Canadian Mint. His family announced yesterday via social media that he “died peacefully in his sleep” on Christmas Eve. Average was 67.
Born Brock David Tebbutt, Average responded to his HIV diagnosis in the mid-1980s by focusing completely on his art. “Art was the only thing that I was ever good at. I did not want to be on my deathbed wondering if I could have succeeded as an artist, or, wake up at 40 questioning the same,” he wrote on his website. Since then, Average’s wildly hued, pop-inflected images of everything from flowers to insects have become iconic in this city. Along the way, Average gave a human face to HIV.
As the Order of BC put it when he won that honour in 2021: “In addition to Average’s significant contributions as an artist and philanthropist, by sharing his personal story, he has quietly raised awareness of what it means to live with HIV /AIDS. His moving, painful honesty has encouraged his fellow Canadians to support community projects and has helped raised the profile of men and women who have struggled with isolation, rejection and stigma associated with AIDS.”
Among his many honours, Average was also named to the Order of Canada in 2024. In 1997, he earned a Governor General's Caring Canadian Award. In 2002, then-Vancouver mayor Philip Owen issued a civic proclamation designating November 3 as “Joe Average Day”, marking the artist’s efforts to fight homophobia and assist AIDS charities.
Average was open in his many interviews about everything from the financial toll of living with HIV/AIDS to the ravages of the antiretroviral treatments that helped him survive for decades after his diagnosis. His struggles also made him deeply empathetic to charities supporting people with terminal illness. Always, there was a meaningful juxtaposition between his upbeat art and the difficulty of his own life. One of his most profound and honest pieces was the painting Thinking Cap/Life With HIV, which pictured one of his stylized heads strapped tightly into a cap bearing words like “courage”, “sun”, and “cats”—a response to the question “What’s it like to live with HIV?” that captures his feelings of vulnerability and hope.
Thinking Cap/Life With HIV
The image used for the Vancouver Mural Festival.
As well as hanging in galleries and on the walls of art collectors, his work has emblazoned items for countless fundraisers, including Vancouver’s annual AIDS Walk and A Loving Spoonful. “We will forever be thankful for Joe, his art, his perseverance, and the awareness he has brought to our Community, Canada and the world,” the latter group posted yesterday.
His stained-glass-like One World One Hope was originally commissioned for the 11th international conference on AIDS—the largest gathering ever held on the worldwide epidemic, hosted in Vancouver in 1996. In 2021, Average created a lasting legacy for the city with the mural One World, One Hope - 40 Years Later, marking the anniversary of the conference and painted by Angelica Stirpe based on Average’s design. It was installed at 649 Helmcken Street at Granville as part of the Vancouver Mural Festival.
“Thinking of Joe Average and the immense difference he made through his art, and by being Joe,” posted Vancouver-West End MLA Spender Chandra Herbert on X. “He was anything but average. He will be deeply missed by many.”
As Advocacy Canada put it in a post today, "Joe’s legacy transcends his canvas, inspiring countless individuals to embrace their authentic selves and find beauty in difference. His works will continue to light up the world, reminding us of his spirit and enduring message of love and inclusivity."
Video care of joeaverage.ca/Wendy Williams Watt.
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