Joe Average (born October 10, 1957, as Brock David Tebbutt) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

artist who resides in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, British Columbia. Diagnosed

HIV+ The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

at age 27, Average made the decision to commit the rest of his life to art, and to challenge himself to live by his art.Not Your Average Joe : Pop icon and artist Joe Average on his most challenging masterpiece — his health
''The Positive Side'', Spring/Summer 2005. He was born in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada. Average frequently donates work to charitable causes, such as Vancouver's annual Art for Life auction. His work has been used for such projects as A Loving Spoonful (a charity which provides meals to people with terminal illnesses) and the

Davie Village Davie Village (also known as Davie District or simply Davie Street) is a neighbourhood in the West End of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is the home of the city's LGBT subculture, and, as such, is often considered a gay village, or '' ...

.The AIDS Walk for Life: About the Artwork
Average has also been selected to judge submissions for Vancouver's AIDS memorial and anti-homophobia posters. Average is known for his cheerful, colourful, cartoon-like work, including images of flowers, animals and insects, and people. He has received many awards and honors, including civic merit awards, the Caring Canadian Award (1998) and the Queen's Golden Jubilee Silver Medal for Outstanding Community Achievement (2002). Vancouver mayor

Philip Owen Philip Walter Owen (March 11, 1933 – September 30, 2021) was the 36th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia from 1993 to 2002, making him one of Vancouver's longest serving mayors. His father was Walter S. Owen, who was Lieutenant Governor o ...

issued a civic proclamation to designate November 3, 2002 as "Joe Average Day" in the city. Average was honored as one of two grand marshals of Vancouver's annual

gay pride parade A pride parade (also known as pride march, pride event, or pride festival) is an outdoor event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, legal rights, and pride. The events ...

in August 2006. In 2011, he had

lipodystrophy Lipodystrophy syndromes are a group of genetic or acquired disorders in which the body is unable to produce and maintain healthy fat tissue. The medical condition is characterized by abnormal or degenerative conditions of the body's adipose tissue. ...

, a not-uncommon side effect of antiretroviral therapy. On April 23, 2019, the

Royal Canadian Mint }) is the mint of Canada and a Crown corporation, operating under the ''Royal Canadian Mint Act''. The shares of the Mint are held in trust for the Crown in right of Canada. The Mint produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufacture ...

released a coin with art by Average, said to symbolize the progress lesbian, gay, transgender, queer and two-spirited people have achieved in Canada as well as the work that still needs to be done.

Honours

Royal Canadian Academy of Arts The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880. History 1880 to 1890 The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Queen Victoria on 16 July 1880. The Governor General ...

Order of British Columbia The Order of British Columbia (french: Ordre de la Colombie-Britannique) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier ...

(2021)

References

External links

Joe Average
{{DEFAULTSORT:Average, Joe 1957 births Canadian gay artists Gay painters Living people Canadian LGBT painters Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Members of the Order of British Columbia Artists from Vancouver Artists from Victoria, British Columbia People with HIV/AIDS Canadian male painters Canadian currency designers 20th-century Canadian painters 21st-century Canadian painters 20th-century Canadian male artists 21st-century Canadian male artists 21st-century Canadian LGBT people 20th-century Canadian LGBT people