Vancouver artist and activist Joe Average dies on Christmas Eve at age 67
CBC
Local Vancouver artist and 2SLGBTQ+ advocate Joe Average died on Christmas Eve at the age of 67.
He passed away "peacefully" in his sleep, his siblings shared in a post to social media.
Speaking with CBC News, his sister Karin Carson described Average as "the best big brother," and said she is very proud of him.
"His legacy will live on," she said. "He's touched many people in this world."
Carson said her brother's goal was to change people's views on HIV/AIDS, and show the world you can live with the disease. He wanted his art to give people hope, Carson said.
Average was told he was HIV-positive when he was 27 years old, a diagnosis that pushed him to pursue his dream of becoming an artist.
Born in Victoria but later a Vancouver local, he became well-known for his colourful artwork and his advocacy for HIV/AIDS awareness and 2SLGBTQ+ rights.
His artwork has made its way onto a Canadian stamp and on a loonie designed for the Royal Canadian Mint, and has been featured in numerous banners and murals across Vancouver.
Average also frequently donated his artwork to charitable causes.
He was appointed to the Order of B.C. in 2021 and the Order of Canada last summer.
Michael Harding, a longtime friend of the artist, said he fondly remembers accompanying Average to Ottawa for the ceremony in June.
"When the Governor General's office called him to say he was getting the [order], he called me straight away and he said, 'Look, you were there at the beginning, so do you want to come?'"
Harding, who first met Average in the early 1980s as a curator in Victoria, described him as a singular talent whose work deepened in resonance after his diagnosis.
"You can see that in his art and some of the things that he's done, just the reflection and the right sense of humour that comes from having a difficult time," Harding said.
