Canadian Pop Artist and AIDS Activist Joe Average Dies at 67
His HIV diagnosis in 1985 drove him to dedicate his life to his art, distinct for its prismatic color scheme and inspiring messages.
by Maya Pontone 
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Throughout his lifetime, Average’s advocacy work and artistry were commemorated with numerous awards and honors, including a civic proclamation by Vancouver’s former mayor Philip Owen designating November 3, 2002 as “Joe Average Day” and an Order of Canada issued on December 12, a week and a half before his death.
“His art with its bright colours brings a smile to my heart and soul,” Average’s sister Karin Tebbutt Cope Carson told Hyperallergic, adding that he “helped change how people viewed living with HIV” and that “his legacy will bring hope and happiness.”
In addition to Carson, Average is survived by his brothers KC and Mark, his father and step-mother, and two half-sisters.
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