Joe Average in front of a mural he painted for the McLaren Housing Society of B.C. (courtesy of McLaren Housing Society of B.C.)
“Art was the only thing that I was ever good at,” wrote Joe Average on his website. “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 but how could I make a living from my art?”
Born Brock David Tebbutt in Victoria, B.C. on Oct. 10, 1957, Tebbutt began signing his art with the moniker Joe Average when he was 19 years old. Diagnosed with HIV+ when he was 27, he decided to commit his life to art three years later, when he turned 30. “I needed a reason to want to live,” he wrote.
And for the next three decades, he lived — and helped others through countless philanthropic and art-related initiatives.
Joe Average died, age 67, at his home in Vancouver on Dec. 24, 2024.
Despite the name, Joe Average lived a life that was anything but average. “His pop-art has captured the attention of international art critics, royalty, celebrities, and the public. His work is a visionary kaleidoscope of colour, creativity and compassion,” according to New Westminster, BC's Van Dop Gallery, which represents his work.
“Living with HIV for the past 20 years, the self-taught Joe Average has earned international recognition as an advocate for AIDS, an artist and a noted philanthropist.”
His awards were myriad: the Caring Canadian Award in 1998, the 2002 Queen's Golden Jubilee Silver Medal for Outstanding Community Achievement and the Order of Canada in 2024. In 2019, he designed the Royal Canadian Mint's Equality Coin to mark the 50th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality. His work was featured on a Canada Post stamp, and it can be seen on murals and banners around Vancouver. Throughout his lifetime, he raised thousands of dollars for the McLaren Housing Society of B.C., an organization that helps people with HIV/AIDS.
Source: Joeaverage.ca, Wikipedia, CBC, Van Dop Gallery
