Artwork including optical dispenser to be displayed in Parliament House

The artwork titled: Faces of Shop Small will be displayed in Parliament House, Canberra, as a tribute to the nation’s hard-working small business owners.
The artwork has been unveiled to commorate the start of Shop Small, a movent founded by American Express that aims to reconnect consumers with small business.
Shop Small1 began in Australia in 2013 and ran throughout Novber. It has the support of the federal government and business community and provides the small-business sector with a boost in the lead up to Christmas.
Stephen Pain has been painted standing alongside 39 other small business owners, each holding a tool of their trade. The artwork will be displayed in the office of Minister for Small Business and Assistant Treasurer, the Ms Kelly O’Dwyer.
The business owners depicted were selected from thousands across the country to reflect the diversity of small business in Australia. The ensble is spread across the nation’s geographic footprint – from the northern reaches of Port Douglas to the southern tip of Hobart and as far west as Margaret River in Western Australia.
The artist, Jenny McCracken2 is Australia’s most awarded street artist. Her extraordinary use of chalk to create 3D pavent masterpieces has seen her win top accolades on the international stage. To create Faces of Shop Small, she turned her skills to canvas, using a combination of chalk and paint to bring each face to life. The work took approximately 300 hours to complete.
Jenny McCracken said,: “This piece is a really wonderful opportunity to celebrate small business owners in Australia. I’m proud to be creating this tribute to the hard-working men and women behind each small business who work so hard to bring their passion to life. I hope it stands as a rinder of the diversity, resilience and other great benefits small businesses bring to our communities.”
Stephen Pain said: “Being recognised in the American Express Shop Small movent is such an honour, as it highlights my personal belief that small businesses are a major contributor to the local community. The interaction between small businesses and their community is rewarding. Knowing that you’re able to improve people’s lives on a daily basis is what I love most about running a small business.”
Speaking about the project, Ms O’Dwyer said: “It is an absolute privilege to be able to showcase an artwork depicting a small but important sample of hard-working Australian small business owners in my office.
“There are so many opportunities for small business in Australia and I am committed to helping small businesses take advantage of these opportunities to build the businesses that will power our economy.
“We see the federal government’s role not as orchestrating which business starts or grows, but as creating the right conditions and roving barriers, so that anyone with the courage to take a risk, and the willingness to see it through, can create a thriving business.”
Shop Small spokesperson, Ms Katrina Konstas from American Express said: “Stephen personifies what’s great about small business in Australia and we’re delighted to be able to shine a spotlight on him through Shop Small. The future success of small business relies on the Australian public. Running a small business is not easy – they need all of our help, so please get out and support th.”
To encourage Australians to support small business, American Express is running a promotion for all American Express Card Mbers who enrol in the offer. Card Mbers who spend $20 or more in one transaction from 30 October to 30 Novber will receive a $10 credit. The offer can be redeed at a maximum of 10 different merchants.