He was an advocate for people living with HIV, terminal illnesses, marriage equality, LGBTQ+ rights
Vancouver’s Joe Average was an artist, advocate and activist whose bright, multicoloured images were as multi-faceted as his existence.
His vivid pop-style art has been a part of Vancouver’s cityscape since the 1980s, according to the citation for the Order of Canada, which he received on Dec. 12, adding to the Order of B.C. he received in 2021. “That’s why it was so bright,” she said. “The majority of his art is bright and colourful. It makes you smile, it brings a smile to your heart and your soul.”
“He brought AIDS to the limelight,” she said. “When people first got it, people didn’t touch them. People didn’t want to be in the same rooms. They were pariahs and it’s not like that anymore. His legacy is it’s OK to be who you are and to be loved for whoever you are.” Montaner said it was in 1996 when Vancouver hosted the International Aids Conference, and Average’s painting “One World, One Hope” came to symbolize the progress made in solving “the problem that was HIV at the time.”“I’ve been a little bit under the weather all day thinking about Joe, but at the same time, he made it quite a long while, far, far beyond what he ever thought that was possible, and for that we’re grateful,” Montaner said.
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