Avard and his brother J. Leo were commissioned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to erect four sculpture friezes for the temple in Hawaii. Avard sent for his sweetheart while in Hawaii, and they were married in Honolulu. They finished there work on the temple in 1918 and returned home.

Avard began studying at the University of Utah. Following World War I, Avard decided to commemorate the return of the soldiers by erect monuments. He made "The Idaho Doughboy" which was place in two cities in the state. In 1920, Avard was given an appointment as assistant professor at the University of Oregon. While in Oregon, Avard created several works, including "The Awakening of Aphrodite" placed in the Washburn Gardens in Eugene, "The Holy Sacrament" placed at St. Mary's Cathedral in Eugene, World War I memorials placed at Jefferson High School in Portland and at Oregon State University in Corvalis, and bronze monuments marking the Old Oregon Trail placed in Baker and Seaside.

In 1924 Avard took a leave of absence to study at Yale University, which awarded him a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Then he returned to Oregon to continue as a professor until he was awarded a fellowship by the Guggenheim Foundation. With this he went to Europe. While in Europe he created "La Primavera", "Pioneer Mother Memorial", and "Motherhood".

In 1928 Avard returned to the United States and taught at the Seattle Institute of Art. He also studied at the University of Washington and received a Masters of Fine Art degree the following year. While there, Avard erected "The Ninetyfirst Division Monument" at Fort Lewis.