Born in 1885 to a working-class family in Upstate New York, Avery started working in factories at 16 and attended evening art classes at the Connecticut League of Art Students. His full-time commitment to art came only in his forties, supported by his wife, artist Sally Michel, whose income as a New York illustrator allowed them both to focus on painting. The couple shared a daily practice, painting together at home until Avery’s passing in 1965. His first solo museum exhibition took place in 1943 at what is now the Phillips Collection, a significant venue for modern art. In 1945, renowned New York dealers Paul Rosenberg and Paul Durand-Ruel exhibited his work, marking his place in the modern art scene.